Code-V: Rebirth
by Shimmering-Sky
Summary: Even a demon deserves a second chance at life. (AU, post-Code Geass, mostly follows the Arc-V timeline.) Chapter 22 Summary: "Lulu, you can't shut everyone out forever. That's no way to live." Reizo has the conversation he needs to have with Kaiya, and then...!
1. Prologue: Rebirth

" _Yes, I… I destroy the world… and create it… anew."_

…

" _A Code…? Perhaps my father had the last laugh after all."_

…

" _My survival will bring the Zero Requiem to a halt the second I am seen. Is there really no other way…?"_

…

" _Then I have no other choice. I'm sorry, old friend…"_

…

" _I know I do not deserve to ask anything more of you, but as you can tell by my being here…"_

…

" _Then you'll do it? You will accept the Geass Contract after what you've seen?"_

…

" _I truly am sorry that things had to turn out this way. Thank you for everything, all of you. I leave the world in your hands."_

 _One and a half years after the Zero Requiem, Lelouch vi Britannia, the enemy of the entire world, died peacefully at a very secluded orange farm. But this would not be the end of his adventures, for as soon as he breathed his (true) last, in another world, Reizo Akaba's life began._

 **Prologue: Rebirth**

He'd always felt out of place in the world. That it was lying to him; the memories hidden deep inside of his head (he wasn't even sure they were _his_ , but they were definitely _there_ ) did not always match up with the reality he saw. Acting the part of a normal son of a single mother attempting to run the business her husband left behind wasn't that hard, considering he was still just a child. But there were times when the memories were overwhelming and everything was just _wrong_. A tantrum because he wanted to see his sister but couldn't. Pure hatred directed towards one or both of his parents ( _always_ towards his father). Slipping up and calling his older brother some name he could never recall after it left his lips (apparently "Clovis" or "Schneizel"; what strange names _those_ were).

That was the problem. Reizo Akaba did not _have_ a sister, only his brother Reiji ( _certainly_ not Clover or Schnitzel or _whatever_ ), his elder by nearly two and a half years. (But Reizo could never call him "Brother" or any of its variants, only Reiji. Always Reiji. Any time he tried otherwise he felt _wrong_.)

The other problem was, at the very least, Himika Akaba did not deserve his hatred. Yes, she did pressure him to be the best Duelist around (Reiji received the same treatment, though _he_ was such the _prodigy_ that it really wasn't necessary). That was the only subject Reizo and his mother ever butted heads about; he had no intentions of ever becoming a professional Duelist, and he never cared about the outcome of his Duels, only the challenge that they could be when trying to figure out all the combinations of cards. He'd never really had that _spark_ for a card game, and would actually rather play chess. (A game he didn't actually know how to play, and yet felt like he could…)

On the other hand, his father Akaba Leo was _certainly_ worthy of Reizo's hatred. The bastard had up and left one day about four months after Reizo had turned three, not a trace of him behind. It had actually taken almost two full days before Reizo found out that his father had vanished, not that he cared much at all. He just wished the abandonment didn't mean the headaches he always had got worse as visions of a man that was his father but _definitely_ wasn't Akaba Leo kept him awake at night.

* * *

 **Reizo's Life Points: 3400 - 400 → 3000**

The nine-year-old boy got back up on his feet, a slight scowl on his face as he narrowed his violet eyes. Another day, another Duel he had to complete. Only this time, it was in an actual tournament, he forgot the name. The ground was different, though, a soft material that was almost like a trampolene. Safety precautions for the kids of his age group who participated in Action Duels, of course. As he'd expected, the semifinal Duel was not going to be as easy as the previous two; his opponent was well skilled with her "Ghostrick" Deck—and she wasn't even using any Xyz Monsters.

All three of his monsters— _Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World_ , _Broww, Huntsman of Dark World_ , and his ace _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_ —had been trapped face-down as a combination of his opponent's _Ghostrick Night_ and _Ghostrick-Go-Round_. The only other card he had was his Set _Dark Deal_ —fat lot of good _that_ would do him in this situation.

His opponent this time was a girl maybe a year or two older than him with curly orange hair and olive green eyes, a smile like he'd never seen before plastered on her face. Her Duel Disk matched her hair, and it looked like she was still wearing a school uniform (not LDS, that was for sure). Other than her Traps, her field consisted of _Ghostrick Warwolf_ , _Ghostrick Witch_ , and _Ghostrick Ghoul_. Hiroe Kaiya was her name; that's what the announcer said.

 _(Then why did he feel like it should be something different?)_

There was something about Kaiya that made her look familiar, but the more he tried to focus on it the more his head hurt. Trying to take his mind off of it, he tried focusing on the Duel, but it was constantly nagging him. Like someone whispering in the vicinity just quietly enough to not be heard.

 _(Sh…y …tte…)_

The orangette grinned, spinning around a little. "Okay, now it's time for _Ghostrick Ghoul_ to do his thing! He gives _Ghostrick Witch_ his power and _Ghostrick Warwolf's_ until the end of your next turn! Oh, but that means only she can attack this turn, 'kay?"

 _ **Ghostrick Witch**_ **: ATK: 1200 + 1100 + 1400 → 3700**

The black-clothed young witch spun her broom around energetically, a giggle escaping her lips as she started glowing faintly.

"Okay then, Battle Phase! I use the first effect of _Ghostrick-Go-Round_ to flip _Ghostrick Warwolf_ face-down and flip your _Broww, Huntsman of Dark World_ back into Attack Mode!"

 _Tch._

 _ **Broww, Huntsman of Dark World**_ **\- 1400 ATK**

"Then my _Witch_ will attack _Broww_! _Tricky Illusion_!"

With nothing to counter with and not willing to run for an Action Card, Reizo shielded his face as the wave of shadowy magic destroyed his monster and sent him flying.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 3000 - 2300 → 700**

"I'm gonna flip _Ghoul_ back down with his effect, and that ends my turn!" Another twirl, and Kaiya giggled. "Isn't this fun, Reizo?"

"Fun?"

"Well, yeah! That's why I'm in this tournament in the first place; I wanted to have fun and make people smile!" Kaiya replied. "C'mon, I can't wait to see how you try to get out of this! Surprise me, 'kay?"

Fun. If only he could mindlessly enjoy this game like nearly everyone else in this world. Victory, though; he could always strive for victory. And there were a few cards that he could use in this situation to win this round… "Be careful what you wish for, Kaiya! It's my turn, I draw!"

 _Polymerization_. Well then, his Deck certainly knew what he needed. "I activate the Spell _Polymerization_!" The audience gasped, not expecting that sort of play from a nine-year-old even if he _was_ Akaba Reiji's younger brother. "I'll be using the two monsters still on my field as—ngh!"

 _(Shir… Fen…te.)_

The headache was back, stronger than it had at the start of the Duel. He squeezed his eyes almost shut, nearly biting his tongue to not cry out in pain. He tried to speak, but his voice wouldn't work. No way of continuing the Duel like that even if he _did_ manage to ignore the headache (something of an impossible feat).

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Kaiya's voice sounded so far away…

 _(A flash of orange; a girl, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. Her eyes were shut, face pale, and her dress was unrecognizable due to the amount of red staining it. Blood. It was blood, and the girl was dead. His stomach heaved and his heart ached, and he screamed because he could not save her. He'd failed Shirley, just like he'd failed—)_

"Eyahhh!"

Reizo's eyes snapped open and he jolted up. His vision was spinning, and his heart was pounding so quickly. He could vaguely hear the sound of something beeping extremely quickly, like a far-off siren. It was just that name, over and over again in his head: Shirley. And the image of that girl lying dead on that floor…

"Reizo!"

Just like that, it was gone. The pressure in his head faded away, and he could feel his heart slow back down. And also… hear it…? He'd ended up in the hospital.

"Reizo, everything's alright now," Reiji said, gently squeezing his hand. Behind Reiji stood their mother, her eyes a mixture of concern and relief. "Calm down before you tear the IV out of your arm."

"Yeah…" Reizo mumbled. "Everything's… alright."

* * *

Even though the world was wrong and he was living a lie, well, Reizo continued living. If his life was a lie, then he would make it the truth. And that was how he ended up assisting Reiji in moving into their father's old office at Leo Corporation once Reiji turned thirteen and was able to inherit the company. He _did_ care about his brother, that certainly wasn't a lie.

 _(But was the lie the two being brothers, or was it something else…?)_

They had been quiet for hours, Reizo silently completing whatever task his brother asked him to do while his brother sorted through computer file after computer file. Until the sun had long since set and Nakajima had briefly told them that it was far past dinner time, not much more than a few words passed between the boys. But as soon as Nakajima had left them alone again, Reiji shifted his glasses to the point where Reizo couldn't see his eyes. "Reizo. I want to show you something."

The younger boy set down the box he was holding, wiping some sweat off his forehead. "What is it, Reiji?"

Reiji moved, his glasses no longer hidden behind his eyes. "I know where to find our father," he said, firm yet calm. "We have to go talk to him, bring him back home. You know how his absence hurts Mother."

That was how Reizo found himself led through a secret passage into a laboratory, whereupon Reiji turned on one of the machines and declared that it would lead them to Akaba Leo. Reizo stepped inside of it alongside his brother. A blinding flash of light filled the room, and when it dimmed, he was alone in a strange room filled with machinery. Cylindrical glass cases connected to computers, though everything was powered off at the moment.

 _H-Huh?! Where am I…? Where's Reiji?!_

* * *

In another world, the faintest of smiles appeared on someone's face.

 _I've finally found you… Lelouch._

* * *

 **(Edited to reflect certain important details in the future, and to reflect more recently revealed canon events.)**

 **A/N: I'm trying something different this time and not doing author's notes at the top of the story. Anyways, I'm sure it isn't too hard to figure out quite a bit of the mystery going on, though there's going to be parts coming up likely in the next chapter where I'm taking my creative liberties in this to the fullest extent.**

 **Now, as for technical things you can expect the following from this story:**

 **\- I'm going to use the Japanese names of the canon!Arc-V characters. Most of the dub name changes suck about as much as the dub itself (which is saying something because I stopped watching it after less than five minutes it was so horrible).**

 **\- For consistency reasons, should I include a character from another version of Yu-Gi-Oh!, I'll also be going with their Japanese name if it's different than the dub.**

 **\- HOWEVER, there won't actually be much consistency with the names of the** _ **cards**_ **used by the characters. Most of the time they** _ **should**_ **be the TCG names as they're the ones I am most familiar with. There are times when I abhor the TCG names of the cards though (looking at Creation/Destruction Magician right now), and will instead choose the OCG/translated names instead. Either that or those cards don't have an official TCG name yet so I** _ **have**_ **to use the translated one.**

 **\- There are times when I have to make a card up. Sometimes I even make up a complete archetype and give it to a character. I will balance these fake cards to the best of my ability, and I'll also try not to make them feel cheap by only being used once.**

 **\- Romance will NOT be a focus in this story. However, I have already decided on the pairings that will be implied or shown briefly, so please don't bother requesting a specific one.**

 **\- Finally, don't worry, Reizo!Lelouch and the person at the very end of this chapter are** _ **not**_ **going to be the only Code Geass characters I use in this story.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, I sincerely hope that you choose to review it!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion or Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V.)**_

* * *

 _Reizo wanders around the halls of a strange castle until he meets up with a strange, green-haired woman. That woman is…!_

 _Next time: Above the Surface_


	2. Chapter 1: Above the Surface

" _I'm going into that world they call Fusion… Lelouch has finally—"_

…

" _No, I don't need_ that _card. You seem to forget that I've been alive a lot longer than you have; I can take care of myself."_

…

" _There's no need to let them meet so soon. The boy is still just a child, or have you forgotten that as well?"_

…

" _Hmm. I suppose you make a point. Very well, I'll bring him with me."_

 **Chapter 1: Above the Surface**

The cylinder which he had somehow stepped through would not respond, as all of the computers were off. He had no idea how to operate the machinery, and his brother was nowhere to be found. Reizo was… stuck.

He took a few deep breaths, racking his brain to come up with a solution to this problem. It made no sense for a machine to be able to _teleport_ him of all things, though there had been a lot of code on the screen of one of the computers attached to it, some of which looked like the kind used for Real Solid Vision. Was that what it did? Evoke a strong enough reaction from the Real Solid Vision system to transport the user… to wherever here was? Alternatively, it simply knocked him out, and someone brought him here. Though why would they do that and not tie him up?

…Either way, he needed to find out where he was, and he certainly could not do that by sitting in this lab all day. The exit was, thankfully, unlocked. But the building it was within confused him; it appeared to be some sort of castle. No people walked the halls or stood guard, though, and most of the other rooms would not open for him while he could not see inside.

 _(Why did that fact make him feel right at home?)_

Reizo sighed as he rounded another corner. No people meant no answers which meant even longer before he found his way back to his home.

"Frustrated? My, that's not like you at all, Lelouch."

 _(Lelouch.)_

He spun around, eyes wide as his head throbbed. He caught a flash of green in the corner of his vision, but other than that there was no indication of anyone having been there. Reizo frowned as he let his hand fall from the side of his head; people could not just disappear like that. …Then again, _he_ had randomly appeared in this castle simply because of a card.

 _(Lelouch Lamperouge… Lelouch vi Britannia… Zero…)_

"That's right, you certainly _are_ different from him," that same voice said. A female tone, and somewhat mocking. And then he saw her, standing behind him now. The flash of green must have been her hair, for it was a certain lime-green color and… strangely long. Her amber eyes looked at him with sly interest. Whatever she was wearing—along with her arms—were hidden underneath a high-collared black cape of some sort.

"Who are you?!" Reizo demanded, the headache back tenfold. Just like during his Duel with that girl Kaiya two years ago. Was there some sort of connection between the two?

 _(C.C.)_

The woman stared back at him. "Why don't you tell me? I'm sure you remember _something_ , Lelouch. You certainly remember more than almost everyone else."

 _Everyone… else…?_ What was _that_ supposed to mean? "I have no idea what you're talking about, miss, and my name isn't 'Lelouch'." Except now that he'd spoken, that name felt so familiar on his tongue.

"I suppose that's technically correct," she nodded a little. "Then, should I call you Reizo?"

…And the strange woman knew his actual name when he still did not know hers. Unless that "See-two" that popped in his head was her name for some bizarre reason, but who would have a name like that? He crossed his arms and shot her a glare. "I'd prefer it if you didn't call me anything. I still have no idea who you are and I—huh?"

The woman vanished. Not a sound, nor a flash of light. It was like she was never there in the first place. Instead, farther down the hall, he could see two people running towards him—a girl he'd never seen before with purple-and-blue hair tied up with a large orange bow, wearing some sort of red outfit with stars on it; and the other person, his brother Reiji.

A million questions ran through his head— _how did you get here, where_ is _here, who is this girl, why are you running away from something_ —but all Reizo managed to voice was, "Reiji?"

Reiji stopped, if only for a second, and adjusted his glasses while saying, "We have to hurry; I'll explain later."

The dark-haired boy scowled. He _hated_ running, and it didn't look like there was anyone chasing them. Though he did not want to argue, and at least Reiji would give him some answers. Said running continued throughout several hallways and a tunnel before the girl suddenly stopped, shouting at them.

"You aren't from here, are you? Where is your boat?!"

"Boat?" The brothers shared a look.

Quietly, Reizo said, "We don't know where we are or how we got here."

"But then—tch," she only glared at them for a moment before looking for something. A way to get off the island? "Neither of you will be any help, then. I just want to get off the island and find my own futu—"

" _Your future is here, Selena."_

A chill ran up Reizo's spine as his pulse quickened. Though it had been nearly seven years, there was _no_ mistaking that voice. One that he hadn't cared to hear again, but still enough to cause him fear and even _more_ questions arose in his mind. He turned slower than he ever had before, trying to deny who the voice belonged to. But it was impossible; here, wearing a purple suit that looked oddly like a military uniform, a red cape over his shoulders; here, with some strange metal fixture on the left side of his head; here was Akaba Leo, his father. With four men standing behind him, all wearing the same blue uniform complete with a strange sort of mask.

"Selena," Leo said, completely ignoring the fact that _both of his children_ were standing right in front of him, "I know your abilities more than anyone else."

"Then why do you keep me locked up on this island?!" she shouted back.

"It is not the time yet."

"Then when? When you destroy Xyz? Or Synchro?"

"Destroy…?" Reiji mumbled.

 _Father wants to… destroy Xyz and Synchro? How does that even work—and what about Fusion?_ Reizo balled his hands into fists. "Hold on a second! What do you mean by—"

"Akaba Leo intends to unite the Four Dimensions by launching a war against the other three, or something to that effect," a new voice interrupted. It was the green-haired woman from earlier, back just as quickly as she had disappeared. She looked thoughtfully at Leo before adding, "That sounds remarkably similar to what Charles wanted to do. What a strange coincidence."

 _Charles?_

 _Thu-dump._

 _(Charles zi Britannia. My father.)_

 _Wait, what?_ What was with his thoughts this time? This went beyond thinking he had a younger sister… Why did he think this "Charles" was his father? How did he even _know_ that name in the first place when he was _sure_ he never met this woman before. _(Except he wasn't so sure anymore.)_

 _("Now, once our marks of Geass become one, the old world will cease and the new world will spring forth.")_

"Ngh!" Reizo's knees collapsed underneath himself as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to cope with yet another headache. He really _was_ getting sick of them, and wished so much that they would stop. And then the pain was no longer just in his head but his eyes as well, burning like… like…

 _(A single line. Bright reddish-pink and glowing. A bird with its wings spread. Geass.)_

The last thing he saw before he fainted was the woman, her hand stretched out as though she wanted him to take her hand.

* * *

 _Well, this certainly was not how I expected this to go._

Though, there wasn't much _to_ expect. Before Lelouch had chosen to renounce his own Code— _(all for the Zero Requiem)_ —she had no idea that those who stained their hands with the Power of the Kings were reborn in a new world upon their deaths. A chance to live a normal life, she supposed. This was new territory for her—and just thinking about that made the frown on her face disappear.

Reizo— _(the resemblance to Lelouch made it clear who he was)_ —was unconscious. Once again, remembering things from his past life must have been too much for his mind to handle. His brother from the Standard Dimension was trying to shake him awake.

 _And that's exactly why I didn't want to bring that card with me. Lelouch…_

" _Oh, please. This was hardly my fault."_

"Really now?" C.C. chuckled a little, the eyes of everyone else on the pier directed towards her. "Well, whose fault this is doesn't matter right now. Akaba Leo, I assume you don't want your sons in this dimension? I can take them back to Standard for you."

The man narrowed his eyes at her, frowning. Then he gestured at two of the underlings closest to him. "You two, come with me. Selena must be returned to her room. The rest of you, capture that woman," he ordered.

"No! I won't sit around here anymore!" the purple-haired girl shouted, running back into the castle. Her pursuers followed suit, though Leo looked at his two sons one last time before doing so.

The remaining six young men dressed in the colors of the Obelisk Force quickly surrounded the green-haired woman, and she couldn't help but smirk. Even with their Duel Disks' Real Solid Vision, there was no way they would be able to capture her.

" _They have no idea what they're getting into, do they?"_ Lelouch asked.

"I don't believe they do," she replied. The smirk still on her face, she pressed the button on the tablet attached to her wrist, throwing off the cape as she revealed that the tablet was none other than a Duel Disk. "This is how you people settle things, is it not?" What a strange world—or rather, strange Dimension. A card game to settle things… nothing like a large-scale war.

"You think you can stand up to six of us?" one of them asked as they all laughed.

"You must really be crazy."

The last one, the shortest of the bunch, grinned. "Shall we begin the hunting game?"

 _Oh, they_ really _don't know what they're up against. If I was someone else, I probably would feel sorry for them._

"Duel!"

 **Obelisk Force Member (x6): 4000 Life Points. C.C.: 4000 Life Points**

"If this is a hunting game, then I suppose the _prey_ takes the first move?" C.C. looked at her hand, and she couldn't have asked for a better one in her first real challenge (Dueling against _him_ in C's World really didn't count). _A.S.E.E.C. Special Unit, Knightmare Frame - Burai, Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro, Refrain,_ and _The Master_. "I Set two cards face-down," she began, sliding _Refrain_ and _A.S.E.E.C. Special Unit_ into the tablet, "and then I Summon _Knightmare Frame - Burai_ in Defense Mode. Turn end."

 _ **Knightmare Frame - Burai**_ **: EARTH Machine-Type / Level 4 / 1500 ATK / 1600 DEF**

A bipedal grey robot appeared in front of her, arms crossed in front of itself. It still held on to several rifles, and the antipersonnel machine gun looked ready to shoot. _Hmm. Just seeing this again brings back memories…_

Each of their turns takes painstakingly long, and they're all quite boring with nearly the same play every turn. There were only a few variations in what happened each turn: the third and sixth of the members to go were able to Summon _Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog_ (1800 ATK / 1000 DEF), when the others only had _Ancient Gear Double Bite Hound Dog_ (1400 ATK / 1000 DEF), and only the first member had _Ancient Armageddon Gear_ active. Whatever face-down cards they had could also be a variable.

Though, the fact that they all use the same cards made it quite easy to put a stop to them. After the first one Summoned _Ancient Gear Hound Dog_ (1000 ATK / 1000 DEF) and used its effect to deal her 600 damage before he Fusion Summoned, she proceeded to activate _Refrain_ against the second Obelisk Force member who tried to do the same. The _Burai_ had to be tributed, but it was now impossible for any of them to activate that effect again.

And leaving her own field open was offset by the fact that no one could attack on their first turn.

"Tch…! So you survived the first round of the hunt, but that won't happen again! Turn end!" the sixth member declared angrily.

 **C.C.'s Life Points: 3400**

"Are you sure about that?" C.C. asked, smiling. She drew her card— _Blaze Luminous_ —but the card she needed to win was already in her hand, thanks to her opponents' own folly. "When my Life Points are lower than my opponents and I control no monsters, I can Special Summon _Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro_ from my hand!"

 _ **Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro**_ **: DARK Machine-Type / Level 8 / 2600 ATK / 4000 DEF**

Unlike the previous robot, this one was much skinnier, a sleek black-and-gold model with a dark-red attachment on the back. It looked like a backpack with four blades sticking out, but actually granted the machine the ability to float. It also had actual feet instead of wheels, said feet each having eight toes. The machine rose into the air, arms stretched wide, and a barrier of hexagonal pink light surrounded it.

"The effect of _Double Bite Hound Dog_ activates! Your monster gains 1 Gear Acid Counter, and when it battles it is automatically destroyed!" the first Obelisk Force said.

"While this card is in Defense Mode, it cannot be destroyed… I'll have to remedy that restriction! I activate the Equip Spell _Blaze Luminous_ , equipping it to _Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro_. Now, it cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects during the Battle Phase."

Underneath the pink light, a green barrier appeared as well.

"At this moment, I enter the Battle Phase, and another of _Shinkiro's_ effects activates!" C.C. declared, pointing at her monster. The pink barrier disappeared, and a compartment in its chest opened up, a green prism inside of it. "At the start of the Battle Phase, the _Shinkiro_ is forced into Attack Mode, and its ATK and DEF swap until the End Phase."

 _ **Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro**_ **: 2600 → 4000 ATK / 4000 → 2600 DEF**

They all took a step back, their grins dropping to slight horror. The one who controlled _Ancient Armageddon Gear_ looked the most horrified, and he stuttered, "B-But… you can only defeat one of us!"

"Oh, really? _Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro_ has the ability to attack all monsters my opponent controls once each. And it looks like its ATK is _just_ enough to end this Duel, thanks to your own Spell Card."

" _Hmph. These fools are pathetic. Nothing like facing Schneizel or the Black Knights, eh C.C.?"_

"You're right about that," C.C. said. "Now, go! _Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro_ , attack their monsters!"

The prism in the machine's chest shot out, hovering in the air for a moment. Then a beam of light shot out of the compartment it had just been inside, and upon impact with the prism, it scattered towards each opposing monster. They really didn't stand a chance. The resulting explosion, coupled with their own card effect, sent them flying.

 **Obelisk Force Members' (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th) Life Points: 4000 - 2600 (Battle Damage) → 1400 - 1400 (Effect of** _ **Ancient Gear Armaggeddon)**_ → **0**

 **Obelisk Force members' (3rd and 6th) Life Points: 4000 - 2200 (Battle Damage) → 1800 - 1800 (Effect of** _ **Ancient Gear Armaggeddon)**_ → **0**

With those annoyances out of the way, C.C. walked towards Reizo and his brother. The former was still unconscious, and the latter watched her warily. The immortal stopped, crossing her arms and returning the look. "Do you not wish to go home?" she asked.

"I…" Reiji shot a glance at the castle behind him, no doubt contemplating his father. "I _do_ want to go home. I just don't know what's going on… Ngh… Reizo, can't you wake up already?"

The boy seemed so fragile, unconscious like that. Innocent even. Though he remembered the most out of those who had been reborn, it was still obvious that this boy was not entirely the same as Lelouch vi Britannia. There really was no good choice about what she was going to do about this…

"Very well then. I will tell you everything I know about the Four Dimensions and your father's plan… and I can also make your brother's headaches stop, though that part will be completely up to him," C.C. said.

"Y-You know what causes his headaches?"

"Yes. They are memories—memories that are his and yet are not at the same time—memories that flood his head when he sees or hears a certain… trigger, I suppose." She looked down at the boy. "We shouldn't stay here. Your father's forces will soon swarm this area, and I know a place where we can talk uninterrupted. Shall we go there, then?"

Akaba Reiji stared at those C.C. had just defeated, some of them starting to stir. "Yes. We should go there."

"Very well then…"

" _I propose a contract."_

* * *

 **A/N: No, you didn't misread anything. C.C. was talking to Lelouch** _ **and**_ **she was also using cards that explicitly were things from Code Geass. There will be an explanation for this eventually, just not at the moment. She won't be the only one doing this, though.**

 **Also, I'm sorry for not detailing** _ **every**_ **turn of the Duel, but can you blame me? The Obelisk Force all have the same Deck and they all seem to have really good topdecking skills.**

 **Thanks to the six people who reviewed the previous chapter! I hope you—and others—review again!**

* * *

 **Cards in this chapter:**

 _A.S.E.E.C. Special Unit_

Normal Trap

Effect: [Unknown]

 _Knightmare Frame - Burai_

EARTH Machine/Effect

Level 4

Effect: During the Battle Phase: Increase this card's ATK by 100 for each "Knightmare Frame" monster on the field.

1500 ATK

1500 DEF

 _Knightmare Frame - Shinkiro_

DARK Machine/Effect

Level 8

Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set, unless you control a face-up "Zero, Man of Miracles". If you control no monsters while your Life Points are lower than your opponent's: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. At the start of the Battle Phase, if this card is in face-up Defense Position: Change this card to Attack Position, and swap its ATK/DEF until the End Phase. Cannot be destroyed while in face-up Defense Position.

2600 ATK

4000 DEF

 _Refrain_

Counter Trap

Effect: Activate when your opponent activates a monster effect while you control at least 1 face-up "Knightmare Frame" monster. Tribute 1 monster; negate the activation of that monster's effect. That effect cannot be activated again during this Duel.

 _The Master_

Normal Trap

Effect: [Unknown]

 _Blaze Luminous_

Equip Spell

Effect: Equip only to a "Knightmare Frame" monster. Once per turn: The equipped monster cannot be destroyed.

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion or Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V.)**_

* * *

 _The truth of the reason Reizo exists comes to light, and he doesn't want to accept it. For who could accept the painful truth that their entire existence was a lie?  
Next time: The Truth of C_


	3. Chapter 2: The Truth of C

" _You're Akaba Reiji, hm? Well, I must say, you're certainly much better than_ my _brothers. You've never tried to have Reizo killed."_

…

" _Heh. Forgive my manners, the only company I've had for the past eleven years consists of a witch, a ghost, and a great deal of memories. You'll find out who I am very shortly."_

…

" _In the meantime, you want to know what I meant, don't you?"_

…

" _I can grant you power unlike that which you've ever seen before, at least until… well, that's a bit of a lengthy story. In exchange, you'll—"_

…

" _You're declining my offer already?"_

…

" _Hm. Well, it's a nice change of things. Most would jump at the chance for power. …Well, I suppose you can go along to C's World now."_

…

"… _How interesting… I wasn't expecting him to pass on my offer. Seems I have to stay in that card for a little while longer…"_

 **Chapter 2: The Truth of C**

He had to be dreaming. He _had_ to be. All he had to do was wake up, and he would be back in his room, none of this " _other dimensions"_ things or his pounding headache or what he was witnessing right now. Two large robots in front of him, one unmanned and half-destroyed, and the other a dark purple with someone in military clothing standing on top of it. The man in the military uniform had many others on his side… and all of them were pointing anti-personnel machine guns at him.

Reizo wanted nothing more than to run away. He couldn't hear anything other than his own heart beating rapidly, attention split between the guns pointed at him and the dead girl in his arms—the green-haired woman who'd shown up and called him "Lelouch", shot through the heart likely by the same people who wanted to gun him down.

Then, suddenly, the woman stood up, and so did he. Reizo had no idea what was going on, he still couldn't hear anything. At least, not until he heard his _own_ voice (albeit a touch deeper and in English) declare, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you! Now, all of you, die!"

 _N-No! Stop it!_

His eyes snapped open, meeting with his brother's almost immediately. But… there was something strange. That symbol he'd seen right before passing out— _Geass_ —it was _there_ , in his brother's eyes and—

Reiji closed his eyes, smiling slightly. "I'm glad you're finally awake, Reizo. You had me worried."

"Wha-What… What's wrong with your eyes?"

"My eyes?" As soon as Reiji opened them, the glowing sigils were gone, back to the normal violet. No trace of that mark in either pupil. "What's wrong with my eyes?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Reizo sat there, his mouth agape for a few seconds. Was he _still_ dreaming or something? There's no way someone's _eyes_ could glow and then immediately _not_. Either that or he imagined that. "I… I thought… your eyes were glowing with this really weird symbol. It looked… like a bird ready to take flight." _Geass_. "And… and for some reason, my mind wants to call it—"

"Geass," that woman's voice interrupted. She seemed to have a habit of doing that in critical moments. "Your mind wants to call it Geass, correct?"

"You…!" And then Reizo gasped, realizing that his surroundings were different yet again, and also still made no sense. It was a stone temple of sorts— _Greek architecture?_ —floating in the clouds, the sunlight illuminating them from the horizon… and Jupiter hung in the sky above them. _Jupiter!_ "What's going on here?"

"This… is C's World," she replied, the surroundings changing from a temple in the sky to the inside of a grand library filled with books and blank canvases. Jupiter disappeared from sight due to the library having a roof. "Its existence is completely separate from the Four Dimensions the two of you are from, and yet also holds a strong connection with them at the same time."

He stared blankly at her. While Reizo might be a child prodigy… metaphysics? For an eleven-year-old who's been forced to specialize in Duel Monsters? This was _really_ where it was going, wasn't it?

"Your very existence, Akaba Reizo, is proof of that connection," she continued.

That… that couldn't be right. _He_ was proof of a connection between this strange world and whatever the heck the Four Dimensions were? But he was Reizo, nothing more and nothing less… except when those thoughts plagued his mind. Was _that_ what she was referring to?

The green-haired woman smirked slightly. "More on that in a moment. I'm sure you have no idea what the Four Dimensions are, correct?"

Reizo shook his head.

"It has something to do with Duel Monsters, doesn't it?" Reiji asked. "That girl, Selena, she mentioned… _destroying_ Xyz and Synchro. Those two and Fusion are all Extra Deck Summons… but there isn't a fourth, so…"

"How perceptive of you," C.C. said. "While I can't say _why_ there are four different dimensions that have been connected by that card game you seem to enjoy, three of the Four Dimensions are named after the Summon that exists naturally in that world. The one you are from, on the other hand, is called Standard as all three Summons existing in one world is supposed to be the standard."

So… his father wanted to reunite the dimensions? But why would he run away to Fusion in order to do that—and why would he need to _ignite a war_ with the others in order to fulfil this goal of his? It simply wasn't right. Nothing could seriously justify doing that.

"Now then," C.C. said, turning her attention back to Reizo, "you wished to know why your existence proved a connection between this place and the Four Dimensions? You see… I once knew a young man named Lelouch."

The canvas on the wall next to them changed to show a young man wearing a black uniform trimmed with gold, a symbol embroidered on the collar that looked like it belonged to a private school. The young man, on the other hand…

"This 'Lelouch'… Why does he look like my brother?" Reiji asked.

The image changed to show a close-up of another man, though this one could not be identified. His face was covered in a black mask that surrounded his entire head, the part in front of his face a dark purple glass, too thick to see through. His suit was a rich violet, trimmed with gold, though not much of it could be seen due to the fact that he was also wearing a high-collared cape that wrapped around most of his body. It was the same cape that the green-haired woman was wearing…

"Lelouch was a prince exiled from his homeland after his mother was murdered and his sister was blinded and crippled," she continued, completely ignoring the question.

A dark-haired woman covered in blood seeping from bullet holes, her eyes dimly staring, lay collapsed on a staircase. A little girl with sandy-brown hair was in her arms, the girl's lavender eyes wide-open in horror. Like the woman shielded her with her own body… Farther up the same staircase was the spitting image of Reizo, his hands holding the sides of his head as he stared at the horror in front of him.

Reizo's head pounded, and he looked away from the image. His heart hurt too, and he felt… he felt like he'd seen that happen in front of him.

 _(But that was impossible, right?)_

"Seven years passed until he met me, and I gave him power—I gave him Geass—because I sensed his strong will to live. With that power he was able to bend anyone's will to his own, but only once. He used that power to stage an uprising against his father—and for his sister, in order to create a more gentler world."

The little girl from the previous image, now older and in a wheelchair, her eyes shut, crossed pinkies with her older brother—again, the spitting image of Reizo apart from the age difference. They were both smiling, and several origami cranes of different colors rested on the table next to them.

But that image only lasted a brief second, as it was quickly replaced by images of brutal warfare, those strange humanoid (or just bipedal) robots being used as the weapons. In each image, there was the masked man— _Zero_ —with a special, powerful looking red robot by his side.

"The price for using Geass is a life of solitude. In the war that he fought, Lelouch lost everything. His friends and family either died or turned against him…"

A montage appeared on the canvas this time. At the top left, a blonde man with blue eyes stared dimly as he lay on the ground next to some sort of throne, a bullet hole in his head. Next to that, a girl with long pink hair and lavender eyes, her white dress tattered and soaked in red, fell to a bullet from Zero's gun. In the middle, another young woman, this one with orange hair, bled out from a gunshot wound to the stomach, with him— _no, no, it was_ Lelouch _, they were different_ —crouched over her. The bottom right corner, a woman with spiky red hair walked away from him as he was being held at gunpoint by many others. And the last, the picture of a brown-haired boy sitting at the controls of something, his head slumped to the side.

"Even his own sister, his reason for living, condemned the actions he took for the sake of peace."

The crippled girl was back, though this time her eyes were open again, and she looked to be yelling at her brother as he walked away from her with some sort of device in his hands.

"In the end, his plan came to full fruition. As the Demon Emperor, he became the enemy of the entire world. His reign lasted for two months before his friend took up the mask of Zero… and then publicly assassinated Lelouch. With all the world's hatred on him, Lelouch intended to take it with him. And it worked. The world was peaceful."

That was it then. Lelouch was _dead_ , he'd been _assassinated_ , if he'd ever even existed in the first place. Reizo just happened to look like him. That… That was all it was. That was what it _had_ to be.

C.C. looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, and it vanished in order for them to see Jupiter above them. "Though, there was one thing none of us expected: the interference of the Collective Unconscious. Apparently those who have had their hands stained by the power of Geass are given a second chance at life, though to make it a completely clean slate, that second chance is given to them in a completely separate world." She paused to let that sink in. "A world separate from the one Lelouch and I are from… Standard would certainly fit that bill."

It felt as though a bomb had dropped inside of his own mind. "N-No… you're… you can't mean…!" His knees gave out and he fell, his arms holding him up. "I-I'm not…" _I'm not Lelouch. There's just no way…_

 _(Then why couldn't he say it? That he wasn't Lelouch?)_

* * *

"The boy Reizo does not exist. He's always only been Lelouch… whether he realized it or not."

Reizo let out an ear-splitting scream, pulling at his own hair in a desperate attempt to forget this information. It hurt Reiji _so much_ to see his little brother like this; he wanted nothing more than to hold him tight and help him relax. Tell him all the faults in the woman's story—he'd _spoken_ to Lelouch, so how could Reizo _also_ be him?—but he was too panicked to listen.

"That's enough," the elder Akaba sibling said, stepping between Reizo and the green-haired woman. His eyes hardened as he stared at her. "Reizo is my brother. I won't let you call that a lie."

 _(But it_ would _explain all of his episodes where he seemed to have different memories…)_

The woman turned around, chuckling to herself. "Interesting choice of words. I suppose that makes me Charles in this situation, then?"

" _Please, you could_ never _be my father,"_ a new voice said. Though it didn't really sound like a _new_ voice, just Reizo's but deeper and it unsettled Reiji even though he'd heard it not that long ago. Only this time, he could actually _see_ the speaker: the ghostly form of Lelouch vi Britannia.

 _He really does look like Reizo… the resemblance is uncanny._

Reiji's hands twitched. It wasn't making any sense. She spoke of Reizo being Lelouch the whole time, and yet here he was looking at both of them at the same time. "This disproves what you said, doesn't it? The same person can't exist in two different places at once," he said.

" _And I don't. Not really, anyways,"_ Lelouch replied. " _If you're referring to only_ me _, with your brother completely separate, I'm nothing more than a shell of my own memories. Just a very small fragment of the Collective Unconscious."_ His eyes flickered with amusement, also looking up at the Jupiter in the sky. " _That would be an ironic end had I not continued living. Just another time for my father to have the last laugh after all…"_

Reizo jerked away from the others, still screaming. "No! No, I'm not you! I'm-I'm Reizo! Akaba Reizo! You aren't… you're not me and I'm not you!" The boy looked up at Reiji, the panic clear in his eyes. "R-Right, nii-sama?"

His heart skipped a beat. _Nii-sama…_ _that's the first time he's_ ever _called me that. He's… he's…_ Reiji took his brother's hand, smiling at him. "Of course, Reizo." That's what it had to be. The woman was wrong—or trying to trick them?—while Lelouch was… Well, much as he hated to admit it, this was going on far too long to be a hallucination, so he had to _actually_ be talking to a dead man. And it still made no sense for both the "memory" Lelouch and Reizo to exist at the same time if they're supposed to be the same.

Reizo buried his head in Reiji's shirt, crying. Not even trying to talk anymore.

Reiji hugged him tight before looking up at C.C. "Like I said before, that's enough. Please, take us home now."

She sighed. "Very well, I won't hold you here any lon—gck!" One eye squeezed shut as she flinched, some sort of mark on her forehead glowing a bright crimson. Reiji hadn't even noticed that before… why was it glowing…?

" _Gah…!"_ Lelouch clenched a hand over his heart. " _This is…! This isn't good! C.C., hurry—send them back now or—"_ Before he could finish, he shattered in a cloud of sparks, not unlike a Duel Monsters card being destroyed.

Reizo screamed again… and the same thing that happened to Lelouch happened to him.

"R-Reizo!" Reiji cried, his grip slipping as soon as the sparks dissipated. This couldn't be happening, not _again_ …! "Where did my brother go?!"

"Tsk…" C.C. shielded her forehead with one hand. "I… I don't fully understand how, but Lelouch and Reizo were just pulled into the Xyz Dimension. That should be impossible…"

 _Right. The different dimensions._ "Well then, bring him back."

The woman's hand slipped to her side, and she looked away. "It's not that simple, that Dimension was somehow cut off from C's World. I can't bring him back."

* * *

 **A/N: So that all happened. Sorry about the massive basically recap of Code Geass, but it was kind of necessary from the viewpoint of Reizo—he's** _ **really**_ **denying the truth here…**

 **By the way, completely random, but how do you guys feel about the new opening and ending themes? I've literally listened to "Trump Card" twenty times while trying to finish this chapter.**

 **Anyways, the Xyz Dimension. I hope you guys don't mind the creative liberties I'll be taking with it. Just expect the return of a few more faces you'll hopefully recognize, with a few twists because if you've read any of my previous fics you** _ **know**_ **my muses** _ **love**_ **to screw around with family trees. Yes, this is a giant hint towards something that's going to happen.**

… **Actually, while I'm at it, obviously the Xyz Dimension characters are going to play a large role for quite a while (there's going to be an entire arc dedicated to it), but I have literally no idea what sort of Deck Ruri will use (considering how fast this chapter was put out, I'll probably get to the point where she** _ **will**_ **need to Duel on-screen before her official cards are revealed). Does anyone have any ideas?**

 **Well, that's about it for this chapter. Thanks to the five people who reviewed last chapter! I hope you guys leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion or Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V.)**_

* * *

 _Lost in an unfamiliar city, Reizo tries to find his way back home. Meanwhile, an old face notices his arrival in Heartland and has…?_

 _Next time: Take a Chance! Into the Heart of Xyz_


	4. Chapter 3: Into the Heart of Xyz

" _Ah…! S-Sorry, I didn't mean to—"_

…

" _You want to settle things with a Duel?"_

…

" _I don't intend to lose! Activate Quick-Play Spell,_ Rag… …tion _! I can Fusion Summon using_ Z… _and all the other monsters on the field as Fusion Material!"_

…

" _Wh-What?! Why isn't it working? I definitely put that card in my Extra Deck this time… and the conditions were met…"_

…

"… _Oh. That isn't good. We're trapped here because I tried using that card?"_

…

" _Great… I have to find him, then."_

…

 **Chapter 3: Take a Chance! Into the Heart of Xyz**

The city of Heartland was not always a peaceful place. Though not many knew it, fifteen years ago the city had been one of the locations where the war between the Astral and Barian Worlds had taken place. Those involved in it would _always_ remember that time, though, and would to anything to prevent another war like that.

Which was why, when Orbital had informed him of a strange gravitational anomaly—the first one since that war—Tenjo Kaito _had_ to find out the cause of it. It didn't match the pattern of the Parallel Worlds, so the source could have been hostile just as well as it could be friendly. And he would not take that chance.

"Kaito-sama! The source of the anomaly is right over… there!"

Kaito's eyes darted to where Orbital had specified—the fountain at the center of one of Heartland's many parks. It did not look like anything was wrong, though. The families nearby were either talking or laughing or both, like nothing at all was wrong. No animals were spooked either. And there weren't any lights or anything—something that would show the source clearly. "Orbital, are you sure this was the place? I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

But the second he spoke those words, he noticed a boy all by himself stumbling around by the other side of the fountain. The kid seemed to be talking to himself, his violet eyes completely unfocused as he messed with some sort of pin in his hands.

 _This kid… is the source?_

"Hey, kid, are you lost?" he asked as gently as he could. No need to traumatize him—if he really _was_ the cause, anyways. If not, well, he was still a boy wandering around by himself. It reminded him—too much—of the Duelists his father and Heartland had taken to train Number Hunters…

The boy didn't seem to notice his question, he was still mumbling something. But then he turned to look at Kaito— _they're the wrong color but his eyes were just like Haruto's when he was sick_ —and said, quite firmly, "I'm not Lelouch. I'm _not_."

That… was not the response Kaito was expecting. He narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Okay, I didn't say anything about Lel-whatever, I asked if you were lost."

"Oh." The kid blinked a few times, pocketing the pin. He looked around wildly, and then nodded. "I don't know… where I am. I…" His eyes unfocused for a moment as he tried not to panic but couldn't hide the confusion. "But I have to… I have to…"

Kaito caught the mysterious boy just as he fell forward, eyes shut but twitching. One touch was all the man needed to know that the kid had a fever of some sort, and his parents didn't seem to be anywhere close. If he could even _contact_ them.

…Well then. This certainly was not how Kaito was expecting this day to go.

* * *

Running. Reizo hated it from the bottom of his heart—he'd never had the best endurance—but running meant finding his brother or at least something familiar faster. The bright colors of the city were lost on him as he continued to run, turning corners, looking at everyone he passed, looking at signs, anything. But he couldn't see anyone's faces, and the world was going dark.

His heart pounded inside his chest.

 _("The boy Reizo does not exist.")_

"No!" he screamed, hands flying to his ears. "No, no, no! You're wrong! I-I exist! I'm not Lelouch. I'm _not_." He _couldn't_ be. Reiji said so himself—that he was Akaba Reizo.

And then he blinked and the world came into focus. He was in a completely different area than before—there certainly hadn't been a fountain next to him a second ago. And he certainly hadn't been running with his LDS pin in his hand. What was going on? What was real, and what wasn't?

 _(He didn't know the answer anymore.)_

He vaguely remembered some blonde man in a black trench coat asking him questions, and he thought he answered them. Nothing made sense anymore. Why couldn't things go back to how they'd been when his only worries were trying to please his mother? Why did he and Reiji have to find those _Cross Zone_ cards and why did he have to be stupid enough to try playing it?

It wasn't… it just couldn't be real…

Reizo's eyes opened slowly. The dim beeps of a machine echoed loudly in his ears as he tried to focus on what was going on now. All he could see was white ceiling tiles until he turned his head. There were machines around him—the beeping coming from one that was monitoring his heart rate.

 _The hospital again…?_

But as often as he ended up in one, much to his chagrin, he didn't recognize this one. Maiami City didn't have hospital rooms where an entire wall was a window… and it didn't have a large tower with a pink heart on the top. That tower seemed to be the largest in the vicinity, but it was supposed to be LDS that was the tallest.

So he wasn't in Maiami City. That begged the question of where he was and how he got here. And where his mother and brother were.

" _He's always only been Lelouch…"_

He tensed, shaking his head fervently. That woman was _wrong_ about him. Her words shouldn't affect him like this.

 _(But they did anyways.)_

…

Reizo's Duel Disk was sitting on the table next to his bed, his pin resting atop the screen. He reached over, moved the pin away, and grabbed the Disk. With the press of a button, it turned on. That was promising. What _wasn't_ promising was the fact that it wouldn't let him get into the application that would let him call someone. It wouldn't let him access _any_ features, actually, other than the basic Dueling one.

"Ah, I see our unnamed patient is finally awake," a gentle voice said. It belonged to a nurse holding a clipboard.

Which meant that finding out what was going on would have to wait. He had a ton of questions to answer for the nurse, and he also had to have quite a few tests done as well.

He was really getting tired of hospitals.

* * *

 _Akaba Reizo._ That was the kid's name, Kaito found out, when he returned the next day to check on him. At least, according to the kid. Apparently that wouldn't necessarily be enough proof to go on—the kid also claimed to be from a place called "Maiami City", and neither that city nor his own name could be found anywhere in the public records.

 _If I assume the kid isn't lying, he_ has _to be the source. But then, that begs to question what world is he from? And how did he end up here?_

Hopefully, Reizo would be able to answer those questions before visiting hours were up.

With that in mind, the Galaxy-Eyes Duelist walked into the hospital room containing the young dimensional traveler. The kid was messing with his Duel Disk— _more proof he wasn't from around here; that model did not exist_ —and seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated with it.

"Not working the way you want it to, huh?" Kaito asked.

"Exactly," Reizo answered absentmindedly, sighing as he put the machine down. Then he realized that it was _not_ a nurse or doctor who asked him that question, and stared at Kaito. "Um… who are you?"

"Tenjo Kaito. I'm the one who brought you here after you collapsed in the middle of one of Heartland's parks."

"Heartland? So that's where I am…" The boy shook his head slightly. "I heard the doctors. I'm not crazy, Maiami is my hometown and my name _is_ Akaba Reizo." With the last declaration, he looked much more intense about it; like he was somehow doubting his own identity but didn't want to let that show.

 _("I'm not Lelouch. I'm_ not _.")_

"I believe you, Reizo. What I'm trying to figure out is how you ended up here, and what world you're from," Kaito said. At the alarm that shot up in Reizo's eyes, he explained what happened after Orbital picked up a gravitational disturbance that didn't match any he'd seen before, and the reason he'd found Reizo in the first place was because he was trying to find the source.

What he _didn't_ mention was anything about the Numbers War.

Reizo was silent for a moment. Then he tapped a button on his Duel Disk, opening the slot that holds the Extra Deck. He took three cards out and turned them around so that Kaito could see them. One had a black frame, one had a purple one, and the last was white. "Can you tell me what types of monsters these are?"

"The black is Xyz, obviously," Kaito replied. "I've never seen the white before, but… the other is a Fusion Monster, right?" He eyed the violet-backed card warily. That sort of Summon wasn't known publicly; the only Fusion cards that existed here were the ones his father had given him—and they came from the Barian World, hadn't they?

The boy looked dejected as he slid the cards back into his Duel Disk. "This woman, she told me that there's a group of four interconnected dimensions, but they're separated by what Extra Deck Summons exist naturally in each. Xyz, Fusion, and Synchro… and the fourth, Standard, has all three. Or something like that. But if you know what two of them are…"

Kaito shook his head. "It's likely that this is the Xyz Dimension you speak of. Fusions aren't—they're not exactly _natural_ here, and no one uses them anymore." But if that was the case… were the Parallel Worlds supposed to be a part of this dimension, or something else entirely? And if they _were_ a part of the same dimension, how _did_ Faker get his hands on some Fusion cards?

"Well, that still doesn't help. I want to go home—and I don't even know how I got here."

He was about to add something else when the bubbly nurse walked in, saying that visiting hours were up for the day.

"I see…" Kaito stood up, looking back at Reizo one last time.

On his way home, he placed a phone call to a certain person.

"Chris? I managed to talk to the kid, and he had quite a lot to say…"

* * *

Reizo lay on his side as he contemplated everything, staring at the colorful lights of Heartland. It really was beautiful now, once the sun had set, just like a rainbow. Not like Maiami at all; which was also stunning at night, but definitely not as colorful. The dark-haired boy sighed and rolled over, trying to force the knot in his stomach away. What he'd told that Kaito guy had been the truth—he just wanted to go home. More than _anything_.

…But would it be the same? Now that he knew where his father went to, and what he planned to do? Now that that woman had discredited his entire existence? Now that a completely different world knew of their existence?

Actually, speaking of that different world, the way Tenjo Kaito had simply _believed_ everything he'd said bothered him. He wasn't sure if the adult was trying too hard to pretend that he'd said was true— _gravitational disturbance?_ —or if something had actually happened here that made it easier for him to believe Reizo at his word. Granted, the latter seemed increasingly likely due to the fact that Reizo had a Synchro Monster, and Kaito's reaction to it didn't seem forced at all, but he couldn't be too careful.

He turned over again, staring out the window again. Yes, the city of Heartland was very different than Maiami. But it was possible he'd have to get used to living here until he could find a way back home—or, much as he hated to admit, back to the place where C.C. was because at least she had some idea of how to travel between the dimensions even if she was _dead wrong_ about him being Lelouch.

He wondered what it would be like, living in a world where everyone was a stranger—or would _he_ be the stranger? No LDS, no Fusions or Synchros, possibly no Action Duels… and no brother. Or mother, for that matter. It was… not something he'd ever imagined before. His life had, really, always been about following in Reiji's footsteps—or somehow doing even better. And without that in front of him, what could he do?

…No, he didn't belong here. He belonged back in Maiami, that much was true. Besides, he couldn't stay in this hospital forever—he'd probably be released tomorrow—and didn't exactly have anywhere to stay. Finding his way home as soon as possible would be for the best.

 _I just wish… there was somewhere that I could start…_

* * *

"So this is where he is, huh Lelouch?"

A stranger stood in the shadows cast by a nearby office building, staring up at Heartland General Hospital. He had on a black cloak, the hood pulled up to make sure no one could see his face— _his face?_ —and it was large enough to cover his entire body. Something under the cloak glowed a dim purple, something that would not be noticable had the man been standing outside of the shadows.

" _I'm sure of it. But I don't think you should go there right away. The boy was quite traumatized after his encounter with C.C…"_

The stranger sighed. "That witch didn't even follow her own words. She _was_ the one who said it was too early to let Reizo know the truth about himself, and yet she did it anyways. Honestly, how _did_ you put up with her?"

" _How indeed."_

He was silent, still staring at the hospital. Visiting hours were certainly over at this time of day, so of course he wouldn't be able to go there right away. Which meant he had to find a place to sleep aga—

"Oi! You sneaky bastard!"

The stranger blanched, taking off again upon hearing that voice. He did _not_ want to Duel right now—not so soon after horribly screwing up the connection between C's World and the Xyz Dimension, and especially not against the same person he'd been Dueling then to begin with.

 _Just my luck…_

* * *

 **A/N: Man, this took longer to write than I'd have liked. But, see, there's a thing called Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL. And I hadn't** _ **exactly**_ **finished watching that show before getting into Arc-V and writing this story—I was only about halfway through the first ZEXAL at the time. And as you can tell by this chapter, this chapter required extensive knowledge of that show to work properly. My apologies if the way I'm handwaving Fusion Monsters existing in the Xyz Dimension doesn't hold water, or if I portrayed Kaito incorrectly.**

… **Speaking of ZEXAL, who's you guys' favorite character(s) from it? I just want to know. It's not like the plot's going to change based on one person's opinion; surprisingly my muses have almost entirely solidified everything they want to have happen in this first arc instead of just making random stuff up as they go along.**

 **Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter enough to leave a review about it.**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _With no immediate way to get home, Reizo has to try adapting to life in Heartland City. But why did that have to involve going to school—and was that Selena he just saw in the hallway?!_

 _Next time: A Strange Atmosphere_


	5. Chapter 4: A Strange Atmosphere

" _Ooh~how interesting. Looks like little Reizo's stuck all by himself in the Xyz Dimension. What are_ you _going to do about it?"_

…

" _Well of course I'm serious. I never joke around unless it makes people squirm."_

…

" _So, what are you going to do? Still going to invade now that your poor boy's there?"_

…

" _Haha, that's certainly the answer I hoped you would give me. …Well then, I suppose I should go have a word with the professors setting up the transporting program. Xyz has changed coordinates again, not that they seem to realize it."_

…

" _Hah, wouldn't_ you _like to know? Oh, I know more than you ever could, Akaba Leo. More than_ anyone _could."_

…

 **Chapter 4: A Strange Atmosphere**

Reizo was right about one thing: he was judged fit enough to be released from the hospital the next morning. Being a child with no family to speak of (to their knowledge) and nowhere to stay… that meant it was off to an orphanage for him. A place he did not belong in, no matter how much he tried to argue otherwise.

 _They just don't believe me… my family_ is _alive, they're just in a different dimension. But I can't tell them_ that _, so now I'm stuck here._

At the very least, the orphanage he was stuck in wasn't a dull grey, almost dead place like they were portrayed in most movies. It wasn't as bright as the rest of the city of Heartland, though, outside of the playground nearby the building.

The room he had to share with four other boys, however…

"Whoa, that's the new boy?" a glasses-wearing kid with green hair and dark eyes asked, incredulous.

"Looks like it…" the second boy, smaller than the others, muttered.

"That's a _boy_?!"

Reizo shot a look at the one who made the last statement, a boy with light-blue eyes and short brown hair. " _Yes_ , I am a _boy_. I happen to like my hair long. Is there something wrong with that?!"

"Now now boys, behave," the caretaker— _what's her name again? Mari something-or-other?_ —said, nudging Reizo further into the room. "This is Akaba Reizo, and he'll be your new roommate."

"Yes Miss Mari," the four boys chorused.

Reizo just scowled. He had no reason to be here— _really_. Unlike these other boys who were either actually orphaned or abandoned by their families. _I wasn't abandoned… I'm just stuck here…_

"Hey, hey, so what's your story?" blue-eyes asked, hopping on the bed Reizo assumed was supposed to be _his_ , not the boy's. "What landed you here?"

"Leave me alone," Reizo said, almost angrily, "and get off my bed."

"Geez, fine, have it your way. I was just trying to be nice."

* * *

As if to make matters worse, not only did Reizo have to get used to living in an orphanage, he had to go to school here in Heartland as well. He supposed it wouldn't be _all_ bad—he actually liked school back in Maiami even though his mother had _high_ standards for him—but when all he wanted to do was go home, he didn't care for distractions.

It was probably due to his sulking that he didn't hear the girl shouting for people to get out of the way after school was finally over for the day. As a result, the girl slammed right into Reizo, scattering her belongings while pinning Reizo to the floor.

After a brief moment of "What just happened?", Reizo opened his eyes, to see two pink ones staring right back at him only about two inches from his face. He couldn't hide the blush that resulted, but slowly said, "Could you… uh… please get off of me?"

"Right! I'm soooo sorry about that!" the girl replied, rolling sideways to grab her things. "I just can't miss Yuto's Duel again, and my teacher held me after, and I thought—"

Reizo rubbed his back; he'd landed pretty hard on it. But now that he could see exactly who it was that ran into him, he froze. For a good minute, he did not see some random girl from the Xyz Dimension—he saw _Selena_ , the girl Father wanted for something, dressed in the pink-collared white shirt and pink miniskirt uniform standard to this school. And upon reminding himself that _this_ girl definitely had pink eyes when Selena had green eyes, the illusion went away. This girl's hair, while still purple, was a _much_ darker shade, and her bangs were swept to one side, unlike Selena's which framed her face. Aside from the hair and eye differences, though, the two girls could have been identical twins…

"—well, it doesn't matter. Sorry again for running into you!" the definitely-not-Selena girl exclaimed, grabbing his hand and shaking it a few times before running off to wherever she had to be in a hurry. Something about a Duel?

 _I never caught her name…_ Reizo thought disdainfully. It was a longshot, but any chance of getting home he would take, and this girl looking so uncannily like a girl from another dimension entirely. _Ugh, I can't just go after her, people saw her run into me and they might make the assumption that I'm angry at her or something… huh?_

In his hand was some sort of hair clip, shaped almost like a bird's wing. It looked like it had been ripped out of someone's hair, because there was a clump of it stuck in the bristles. Dark purple, just like that girl's.

He had a valid reason to go after her now. And if she was going to watch a Duel, well, there certainly was no better place than the courtyard.

* * *

There were three different ways people could Duel in Heartland. The first, without a Duel Disk entirely, reserved for those too young to hold a Duel Disk or those too poor to afford one. The second, Dueling without having to rely on Augmented Reality for the holograms. This was a brand-new function only available on the newest of Duel Disks (and a select few whose owners enjoyed tinkering with their features for one reason or another). The third, most popular way, was to require the use of a D-Gazer to watch and participate in because the Duel Disks used AR to function.

And, while an outsider might find it idiotic to require an eyepiece to see a Duel Monster, AR Duels had their advantages. They were less disruptive (so long as the Duelists and audience weren't extremely loud), Duelists could just look at a monster and know its stats instead of having to glance down at the small screen on their Disk, and they also made for an added sense of realism as people could see monsters tear up streets with their attacks even though they aren't actually doing anything.

Reizo, being such an outsider, had no idea that AR Duels were even a thing, so when he went into the courtyard expecting to see a Duel in progress, all he saw were a bunch of different groups of kids that he thought were talking to each other while wearing some sort of eyepiece. It took a double-take for him to realize that there were two boys standing across from each other with what had to be Duel Disks on their arms.

The first boy was definitely the younger one; he looked younger than Reizo, and Reizo himself was ten. He had reddish-pink eyes, and an emerald-green hair color that was cut short but spiky. Judging by the smirk on his face, the boy must have just pulled off some sort of combo successfully that put him in the lead.

The other boy, on the other hand, was probably a year or so older than Reizo. His eyes were grey, and his hair was much longer (and spikier) than his opponent, the back of it black and the front a light shade of purple. If he was the one losing, his face certainly did not give it away.

"Alright! I'm actually going to win this time!" the younger boy exclaimed, jumping around in excitement.

"I wouldn't say that just yet," stoic older boy replied.

 _I can't see their monsters… maybe_ that's _what those eye pieces are for,_ Reizo thought—a correct assumption, even if he didn't know it. _But that's not what I'm here for…_ Looking around the (admittedly large) crowd of students trying to watch this Duel, it was somewhat easy to find the girl that had run over him because she was standing at the front. He wormed his way through the crowd and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Huh?" She turned and saw who it was. "Oh, it's you. Sorry again… did you need something?"

"Yeah," he held out the hair clip, "I'm pretty sure this is yours. I must have pulled it out or something when you ran into me."

A hand flew to her hair in order to confirm that she really was missing her hair clip, and she smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, this clip means a lot to me and I didn't even notice it was gone… Oh!" She grabbed his hand again and shook it. "I'm Kurosaki Ruri."

"Akaba Reizo," he replied, pulling his hand back.

"Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Reizo!" Ruri replied. She narrowed her eyes at him, her left eye appearing to be purple because the thing she wore over her eye was blue. "Were you going to stay and watch the Duel? Because you can't without a D-Gazer."

"That's what those things are called?"

"You mean—" she cut herself off immediately because she was basically shouting that. "You mean you've never seen one before? Have you been living under a rock or something?"

 _If by "under a rock" you really mean "a different world with very different technology when it comes to Dueling", then yes, that's exactly where I've been living._ He couldn't say that, so instead he smiled sheepishly and replied, "I guess so."

Ruri chewed her lip, mulling something over in her head. Then she suddenly pulled her D-Gazer off and said, "Here, I've seen Yuto and Tadashi Duel countless times before, and you're new here. You can borrow my D-Gazer for now."

"Thanks, but I didn't really want to stay and watch…"

The crowd of children around them suddenly start cheering loudly, with the younger Duelist on the ground, a huge frown on his face.

"Ah?! Looks like it's already over," Ruri said. She then turned to the victorious Duelist and smiled. "That's a new record, Yuto!"

"Really? I wasn't keeping track," the black-and-purple-haired boy replied. "Who's this?"

Reizo was about to answer when Ruri interjected, "Oh, this is Akaba Reizo, I kinda ran into him earlier and lost my hair clip; he was just returning it. He's new here. Reizo, this is my best friend Tenjo Yuto, the best Duelist Heartland has to offer—other than my brother, of course."

 _Tenjo…?_

"Ruri, I'm hardly the best…" Yuto's attention turned to Reizo. "Don't listen to her, half the time she exaggerates whatever she's talking about."

"I do _not_!" Ruri said angrily, smacking her friend's arm. "And I'm certainly not 'exaggerating' now; you've never lost a Duel in your life! …Well, except against your parents, back when you were just learning. And against Shun. When you were still learning. But that doesn't count!" And then her face lit up like a light bulb went off in her head. "Wait a sec, you've never Dueled Reizo because he's new here!"

Yuto sighed, "Do you want to Duel me then, Reizo?"

Normally, Reizo would never turn down a challenge regardless of his personal feelings about Duel Monsters. But while he _had_ brought his Duel Disk (assuming that this school was anything like LDS), he hadn't bothered to sort through his Deck and weed out the cards he couldn't use here ( _Polymerization_ , his Fusion and Synchro Monsters, and a few support cards), and there was also… "I, uh, don't have a D-Gazer," Reizo said.

While that made Reizo receive a somewhat questionable look from him, Yuto proceeded to fiddle with something on his Duel Disk for a few moments. "Alright, there. I don't mind having a normal Duel instead of an AR one. Still want to Duel?"

"…Sure." Something like a smile appeared on the purple-eyed boy's face, though he didn't realize it.

Then the younger boy who had just lost to Yuto ran in between them, nearly shoving Reizo out of the way in the process. "Waaaaaiiiiit! That's not fair!" he shouted. "I didn't even have time to _kattobingu_! Duel me again, Yuto!"

"But you already lost today…"

Ruri rolled her eyes. "C'mon Tadashi, Yuto's already got another challenger. You can wait 'til tomorrow." And she proceeded to start dragging the green-haired boy away from the other two.

"Bu-But I—"

Reizo watched with vague amusement and confusion mixed together. "Does this… happen often?"

"Yeah," Yuto admitted. "Tsukumo Tadashi, he always comes here right after his school finishes and waits for me, and he always loses, but he keeps challenging me to rematches after each loss. I don't mind it at all, Tadashi's my friend even though he's a lot younger than me. It's just… I know exactly what strategies he's going to use _because_ he challenges me so often. I'm actually looking forward to our Duel, to see what sort of strategies you'll use."

Ruri hadn't returned yet, though, so the two decided to wait for her. Some of the other students stuck around as well. And when Ruri returned, and the two boys were ready to Duel, well…

"Let's Duel!"

* * *

 **A/N: Good luck guessing who the pre-chapter speaker is. Also, as a side note, Reizo's hair is no longer than Lelouch's, that just happens to be borderline short hair for a female (and, you know, there's also the crossdressing stuff that Lelouch has been involved in _within_ Code Geass canon). Don't make anything of it.**

… **Anyways, yes, if it isn't already obvious I've made Yuto into Kaito's son, and Tadashi the OC I made is… clearly,** _ **CLEARLY**_ **Yuma's kid. I swear that, as of right now, I'm not planning to be like, "Hey [insert character from another Yu-Gi-Oh series] is [insert Arc-V character that doesn't have a last name]'s mother/father because of [reasons]."**

 **(And I apologize if you don't like the pairings involved, but my shipping muse Faith was** _ **adamant**_ **that her ZEXAL OTPs be recognized in a way that happens to be convenient to the plot.)**

 **There is also going to be a** _ **very**_ **good reason behind most characters mistaking Yuya/his counterparts for each other, and the same goes for Yuzu. While Reizo initially saw Selena and Ruri as the same person, he now can see the difference. But he's a special exception to the rule I've come up with. In fact, I'll share the rule early to anyone that reviews this chapter as extra-special thanks (as long as I can, you know, PM you).**

 **Anyways, I hope that you don't find Ruri and/or Yuto too OOC for your liking—keep in mind that this** _ **is**_ **pre-invasion, though—and good enough to grace with a review. Those things keep me going.**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _The Duel between Reizo and Yuto begins, with neither one clearly going to win. But then, faced with the option to either lose next turn or (seemingly) invent a new Summon method, what will Reizo do?_

 _Next time: A Clash of Darkness: Yuto the Phantom vs. Reizo the Demon!_


	6. Chapter 5: A Clash of Darkness

"… _I see, so my brother really is trapped there."_

…

" _Of course not. I am not just going to sit by and let him be trapped away from his family."_

…

" _If he was able to get there, then there has to be a way back. I_ will _find that way, no matter how long it takes."_

…

" _Right… Father also intends on invading our world at some point. Without proper preparation, that would very well be a disaster. I'll need to account for that as well."_

…

" _Oh, no. I already told that man I wanted nothing to do with the Power of the Kings. Knowing what the conditions are does nothing to change my mind."_

…

"… _It works like_ that _? Interesting, I thought it only came in that one form. Perhaps…"_

…

"… _Perhaps I_ could _accept this contract."_

…

 **Chapter 5: A Clash of Darkness: Yuto the Phantom vs. Reizo the Demon!**

 **Yuto's Life Points: 4000. Reizo's Life Points: 4000.**

"I'll take the first turn," Yuto declared, observing the five cards he'd drawn as his starting hand. Two copies of _The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil_ , one _The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm_ , one _The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine_ , and one _Phantom-Wing._ That was definitely a good opening hand for him; he could probably bring out _Dark Rebellion_ next turn, provided Reizo didn't rely heavily on negating Spell or Trap Cards. "I Summon _The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm_ in Attack Mode!"

An ancient helm appeared in front of Yuto and, true to its name, cracked-off pieces hovered around it or were caught in the red scarf around what would be the monster's neck if it had one. A pair of gauntlets also floated around, and both the gauntlets and the broken helm were suspended in the air by blue wisps.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm**_ **: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 4 / 1500 ATK / 500 DEF**

"I'll Set four cards, and end my turn," Yuto finished confidently.

* * *

 _He used up his entire hand? Hm, interesting_ , Reizo thought. _I've never heard of that monster of his, though. I wonder if I should play it safe._

"My turn, draw!"

 _Dark World Lightning_ , _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_ , _Dark Deal_ , _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_ , and _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_ , with _Mystical Space Typhoon_ being the card he drew. With a backrow of four cards, though, it could be hard to choose a target for _Mystical Space Typhoon_. Although, drawing _Grapha_ on his first turn? What luck.

"I activate the Spell _Dark World Lightning_! I target one Set card you control, destroy it, then discard a card from my hand," Reizo explained. He pointed at the far right card Yuto had Set. "That's the one I'm targeting."

A dark cloud appeared over Reizo, sparking with lightning. One bolt struck the Set card, which flipped up to reveal _The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil_ , before it shattered. Yuto shielded his face from the debris, and said, "Once per turn, when a 'Phantom Knights' card is sent to the Graveyard, _Cracked Helm_ gains 500 ATK!"

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm**_ **: 1500 + 500 → 2000 ATK**

"As the cost of my Spell, I'll discard _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_ ," Reizo continued, discarding the monster. "At this moment, his effect activates! Since he was discarded by a card effect, I can Special Summon him to the field."

A demon-like man wearing a skeleton of… something as armor appeared. His skin looked like grey-ish muscle instead of skin. He held a lance in his hand, the shaft made of bone as well, but the blade appearing quite sharp.

 _ **Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1600 ATK / 1300 DEF**

"Then for my Normal Summon, _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_!"

This monster was smaller than the other one he'd brought out, but had similar armor. He had a quiver that held three arrows on his back, and a fourth already notched and ready to shoot. The bow itself was made of some dark wood.

 _ **Oppal, Archer of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1000 ATK / 300 DEF**

"Alright! I Tu—" Reizo cut himself off and mentally cursed; he'd almost forgotten that this was the _Xyz_ Dimension and he couldn't just Synchro Summon here. He certainly didn't want to draw undue attention to himself for using a type of monster none of them have ever seen. Instead… "I Overlay my Level 4 _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_ and _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_! _He who leads the forces of darkness, strike down the foes of Dark World! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Storm forth, Balak, Marshal of Dark World!_ "

The two monsters turned into separate spheres of light, circling each other before plunging into a galaxy of red light. The galaxy burst, and a large figure in black armor appeared before Reizo. Set into the torso of the armor were three red orbs, mostly for decorative purposes. His helm had horns that curved backwards. The monster held a massive broadsword in both hands, and his cape fluttered in the wind.

 _ **Balak, Marshal of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Rank 4 / 2200 ATK / 1600 DEF**

"Battle! _Balak_ attacks your _Cracked Helm_!" Reizo declared, pointing at the phantom monster.

The marshal raised his sword and charged, slamming the flat of the blade atop the cracked helmet before slashing it in two.

It was while his monster was shattering that Yuto shouted, "I activate the Trap _Phantom-Wing_! This saves my monster from destruction _and_ gives it an extra 500 ATK!"

The pieces of the helm reform, and the marshal retreats, his attack done.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm**_ **: 2000 + 500 → 2500 ATK**

"Tch." Looks like he wouldn't get the first damage this turn after all. Though _Balak's_ effect should be able to provide a line of defense for next turn. "I guess I'll Set one card and end my turn."

* * *

" _Dark Worlds", huh? I haven't seen anyone run those cards in a while… I didn't even know they_ had _an Xyz Monster_.

"My turn then, I draw!"

 _Defense Draw_ , now that could be helpful. Yuto added the card to his hand. Then he tapped on one of the cards on his screen; it was almost time for his ace to appear. "I activate the Trap _The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine_! This card allows me to Special Summon it in Defense Mode!"

The monster's head was nothing but armor, a hole on the top making it appear like it was a breastplate, but the glowing blue spheres—its eyes—inside implied that it was a helmet. This monster, like the other one Yuto had used, was possessed by blue flames.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine**_ **: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 300 DEF**

Reizo narrowed his eyes at the Trap-turned-Monster. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Mystical Space Typhoon_ —"

" _Shade Brigandine_ no longer counts as a Trap Card," Yuto interrupted, certain that his opponent was going to try targeting it for destruction. Most people did because most other Trap Monsters were still treated as Traps upon their Summon. Upon the shocked look Reizo gave him, he made the correct assumption, and instead his remaining _Shadow Veil_ was destroyed. "Now then… you're not the only one who can Xyz Summon!"

"Here it comes…!" Ruri exclaimed; she knows that _Dark Rebellion_ is coming.

"I Overlay my Level 4 _The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm_ and _The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine_!" Yuto declared. " _Fangs of pitch-black darkness, rise up against the foolish oppression! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!_ "

Both pieces of phantom armor turn into light, spiraling until entering into another red galaxy. The galaxy burst just like before, only this time it held a dragon inside. Its head, neck, and tail were dark purple, arms and legs black, and its wings looked more like black bones with blue-green or purple blades extending from them. At the intersection of the main part of the wing and one such extension, there was a purple sphere. Finally, the dragon's chest glowed red from curved lines on it.

 _ **Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon**_ **: DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 4 / 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF**

 _His Xyz Monster definitely isn't Level 5 or higher, so I can't use my dragon's effect, but it_ does _outmatch_ Balak _in terms of strength already._ Yuto smiled. "Alright, _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_! Attack _Balak, Marshal of Dark World_! _Rebellious Lightning Disobey!_ "

The spheres on _Dark Rebellion's_ wings glowed before surrounding itself in purple electricity, flying towards the armored marshal. The two monsters collided, the lightning-bathed dragon against the marshal's sword, and smoke fills the air. When it clears… there are two monsters on Reizo's field; the two that had been used as Xyz Material.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 4000 - 300 → 3700**

The purple-eyed boy stood back up, dusting off his pants in the process. " _Balak's_ effect activated upon his destruction; any Xyz Material attached to him are Special Summoned, but they are destroyed during the End Phase of my next turn," Reizo explained.

"Hm. Perfect for stalling attacks," Yuto noted. "Well, I Set a card face-down. Your move."

* * *

"Right. Draw!"

 _The Gates of Dark World_. Now, _this_ would have been useful to have out _last_ turn, so that _Balak_ could have matched _Dark Rebellion_. While having the other monsters out was useful, they would be destroyed at the end of this turn _and_ he had no other monster to Summon aside from _Grapha_. So he wouldn't be able to use _Grapha's_ effect if he wanted to last until his next turn. The alternative was Synchro Summoning, but… Reizo sighed. _If only I had my other Rank 4 monsters, then I wouldn't be in this situation. I suppose I have no other choice._ "I Tribute _Beiige_ and _Oppal_ in order to Summon _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_!"

The dragon to appear this time was more of a demon than a dragon, its many curved spikes on its knees and elbows threatening, along with the horns on its head. The grey dragon spread its pitch-black wings and roared, eyes glowing red and claws ready to strike.

 _ **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2700 ATK / 1800 DEF**

"Then I'll activate the Field Spell _The Gates of Dark World_! This grants all Fiend-Type monsters an extra 300 ATK and DEF," Reizo said as their surroundings turned into a rocky area with a large door behind him.

 _ **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World**_ **: 2700 + 300 → 3000 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF**

"I can't use the other effect of my Field Spell right now, but that doesn't matter! _Grapha_ can still attack _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_!"

The attack connects, and the weaker dragon is destroyed. Yuto cried out, "I use _Defense Draw_ to stop the damage and draw 1 card!"

 _Well, I still got rid of his dragon._ "Alright then. I end my turn."

* * *

Yuto wasn't sure whether to frown or smile when he started his next turn. On one hand, _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_ was his ace card, and coming back from that would be tough. On the other, he couldn't remember the last time someone had managed to destroy his dragon. This Duel certainly wasn't going to be the easy sort of match he was used to.

 _The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments_ , and _Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force_ , the card he'd drawn from _Defense Draw_. That could turn things around immediately. "Because I control no monsters, I can activate the effect of _The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments_ in my hand! I can Special Summon _Dark Rebellion_ from my Graveyard and attach _Rusty Armaments_ to it as Xyz Material."

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_ returned to the field, a single light orbiting it.

"And right after I'd gotten it off the field…" Reizo muttered. "Still, _Grapha_ is the stronger monster."

"Not for much longer," Yuto responded, smirking slightly. "See, _Dark Rebellion's_ effect lets me use one Xyz Material to halve the ATK of one Level 5 or higher monster you control, then add that amount to its own until the End Phase. _Treason Discharge_!"

"What?!"

Once again, the purple dragon's wings were surrounded with electricity. This time, however, it struck and weakened its target, it did not destroy.

 _ **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World**_ **: 3000/2 → 1500 ATK**

 _ **Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon**_ **: 2500 + 1500 → 4000 ATK**

"Attack once more, _Dark Rebellion_!"

The explosion this time was much larger than before, and sent Reizo flying several feet with the damage.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 3700 - 2500 → 1200**

 _He still has Life Points, so I can't count him out yet. Still… this Duel is probably as good as mine,_ Yuto thought. He eyed the card in his hand. "I Set a card and end my turn."

 _ **Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon**_ **: 4000 → 2500 ATK**

* * *

 _Sh-Shoot… I only have 1200 Life Points left, no monsters, and_ Dark Deal _won't do me any good in this situation. The outcome depends on this draw…_ Reizo stood back up from where he landed. "It's… _my turn_! Draw!"

The card that would turn this Duel around was… " _Polymerization_?!" Reizo blurted in disappointment. He couldn't _use_ this card, for one he didn't have any monsters out and for another, he couldn't Fusion Summon. And he couldn't use _Oppal's_ effect either. This wasn't his own world where all the Summon methods were available. He sighed, looked down, and hung his shoulders. "I… can't do anything… Turn—"

"Wait," Yuto said. "You looked like that card _could_ do something just a second ago. A true Duelist should fight without holding anything back."

 _A true Duelist…?_ Reizo shook his head. "I… It's not that, it's just… I can't explain it, okay?"

"That's no excuse!" Ruri shouted. "C'mon, whatever you have up your sleeve _has_ to be worth it if you think it can beat the _strongest_ Duelist _ever_!"

"Ruri, I'm not—never mind." Yuto shrugged. "But she has a point. Winning when _you_ should have would just feel wrong."

 _They just don't understand that I_ can't _use it…_ Reizo thought. _It'll only draw attention that I don't want to me…_ He paused for a moment, still staring at _Polymerization_. _But… what he's saying makes sense, I guess. Winning like that is like an insult to_ both _people involved. Then… should I…?_

He made up his mind. "I activate the effect of _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_ from my Graveyard! By discarding a card, I can banish it and one non-Tuner 'Dark World' monster from my Graveyard in order to perform a Synchro Summon!"

This, clearly, was not what either Yuto or Ruri was expecting, as both looked taken aback by his statement.

"Therefore, I discard _Dark Deal_ in order to Tune my Level 4 _Oppal_ with my Level 4 _Beiige_ , both from my Graveyard!"

 _Oppal_ appeared first, shooting all four of his arrows into the sky before disappearing again. Each arrow turned into a green ring that circled around _Beiige_ in a column.

" _Mad ruler, extend your kingdom across the earth! Claim everything in the name of Dark World! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Arise, Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World!_ "

The rings disappeared in a burst of light, revealling a demonic woman with purple skin, a dark crown resting on her head. She wore armor that was a dark grey with amethysts set into it as decoration, and held a staff made of bone in her hand. The top of the staff looked almost like a human's skull, rubies where the eyes should be…

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2600 + 300 → 2900 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF**

"A… Synchro… Monster?" Yuto said slowly. "Then, you're…!"

"What the heck kind of monster is that?!" Ruri interrupted. "I've never heard of ' _Synchro'_ Summoning before!"

"You told me not to hold back," Reizo said. "And where I'm from, Xyz Monsters aren't the only sort of Extra Deck cards. Synchros are another type, just like this one! And speaking of, I think it's time to activate _Amethyss'_ special ability! When Synchro Summoned, I can draw three cards from my Deck!"

 _Snoww, Unlight of Dark World_ , _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World_ , and _Gateway to Dark World_. Perfect.

" _Amethyss'_ second effect: she gains an additional 200 ATK for every card in my hand!" Reizo continued, smiling. "With four cards, that makes 800!"

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 2900 + 800 → 3700 ATK**

"And for the finishing touch, I activate the Spell Card _Polymerization_! This card allows me to fuse two monsters in my hand or on my field to Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!" He revealed the two "Dark World" monsters in his hand. " _Shadow of darkness and warlord of Hell! Combine your strength in the midst of unlight and bring forth the supreme ruler of Dark World! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World!_ "

 ** _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_ : 3700 → 3100 ATK**

A demon stepped out of the portal of light behind Reizo, its entire body pitch-black. Shadows seemed to leech off of the monster, dripping onto the ground before vanishing. The monster's eyes glowed red, and its hands appeared as claws, wrapped around a sword almost as wide as the demon itself.

 ** _Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World_ : DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 3000 + 300 → 3300 ATK / 2100 + 300 → 2400 DEF**

"Fusion too…?" Yuto took a step back.

"Battle! _Colorless_ , attack _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_! _Chaos Burst_!"

The demon drew back its arm and—somehow—threw its massive sword into the air. Right before the blade was to impale the dragon, it stopped in mid air and exploded, the shards piercing Dark Rebellion countless times over. Then, the sword reformed in _Colorless_ ' hands.

 **Yuto's Life Points: 4000 - 800 → 3200**

"This is it! _Amethyss_ , attack—"

"Not quite," Yuto said, a half-smile on his face. "Because you destroyed _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_ in battle… I can activate the _Quick-Play Spell Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force_!"

"Huh?"

"This card allows me to Special Summon _Dark Rebellion_ back from the Graveyard, then immediately Special Summon a DARK Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck that's one Rank higher, using it as the Xyz Material!" Yuto explained. His dragon reappeared, then immediately spiraled into another red galaxy. " _Pitch-black fangs of rebellion, cleanse the world of the treacherous opposition! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_!"

Now it was Reizo's turn to take a step back in awe. He'd never heard of this "Rank-Up" before, and the way Yuto chanted it made it sound like this wasn't quite the same as an Xyz Summon. He stared at the new dragon. It had gained a second set of wings, nearly identical to the first, though with extra appendages on the wings. The two purple orbs were also slightly larger and definitely glowing now. Its fangs and claws seemed to have been elongated. Also, where the previous dragon was black, this one was white.

 ** _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ : DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 5 / 3000 ATK / 2500 DEF**

 _…So I can't win this turn. Oh well, I don't intend to give him the option to use that dragon's effect if it's anything like_ Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon _._ " _Amethyss_ attacks _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ , then!"

The monster held up her staff, a burst of purple light aiming towards the dragon.

"No… it won't. The Duel's over," Yuto said. "The effect of _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ activates! When it battles with a Level 5 or higher monster, I can detach one Xyz Material from it and increase its ATK by half of the ATK of all monsters you control! The downside is I'll take that same amount as damage during the End Phase, but still…!"

Reizo's eyes widened. He only had 1200 Life Points. That meant…

 ** _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ : 3000 + 3100/2 + 3300/2 → 6200**

"Strike back, _Dark Rebellion_!" Yuto declared.

Instead of the demon queen's attack destroying the dragon, it bounced back and hit herself. The resulting explosion sent Reizo flying for the third time this Duel.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 1200 - 3100 → 0**

"I lost…" Reizo said.

* * *

 **A/N: …Yeah, I probably should have worked on homework instead of on this story, but I had like five hours to kill and my muses demanded this of me.**

 **So, he lost but Reizo clearly has some explaining to do about his Synchro and Fusion Monsters, but what about Yuto? He seemed to already know something, didn't he?**

 **My apologies if you don't like how the Duel turned out, but this is actually going to be an important point waaaaay into the future and I don't want to induce a plot hole because I wasn't careful with my earlier ideas.**

 **Please, tell me what you think in a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

Cards that debuted this chapter:

 _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Tuner/Effect

Level 4

Effect: If you control no monsters and this card is in your Graveyard: You can discard 1 card from your hand; banish this card and 1 non-Tuner "Dark World" monster from your Graveyard, then Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck, whose Level equals the combined Levels of the banished monsters. (This Special Summon is treated as a Synchro Summon.)

ATK: 1600

DEF: 1300

 _Balak, Marshal of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Xyz/Effect

Rank 4

2 DARK monsters

Effect: Once per turn, if this card is targeted by a card effect: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; the effect of that card now becomes "Your opponent discards 1 random card." If this card is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon any Xyz Material it had attached, if possible. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect are destroyed during the End Phase of your next turn.

ATK: 2200

DEF: 1600

 _The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments_

DARK Warrior/Effect

Level 3

Effect: If you control no monsters: You can target 1 Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, then attach this card to it as Xyz Material. You cannot Normal Summon/Set the turn you activate this effect.

ATK: 400

DEF: 1100

 _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect

Level 8

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters

Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.

ATK: 2600

DEF: 1800

 _Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 8

2 "Dark World" monsters

Effect: If you control another face-up "Dark World" monster, this card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can target 1 banished "Dark World" monster; add it to your hand, then discard 1 card.

ATK: 3000

DEF: 2100

 _Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force_

Type: Quick-Play Spell

Effect: Activate only when a DARK Xyz Monster you control is destroyed. Special Summon the destroyed Xyz Monster, then Xyz Summon, from your Extra Deck, one DARK Xyz Monster that is one Rank higher than that monster, using it as the Xyz Material. You cannot activate other Spell/Trap Cards the turn you activate this card.

 _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_

DARK Dragon/Xyz/Effect

Rank 5

3 Level 5 monsters

Effect: When this card battles a Level 5 or higher monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; increase this card's ATK by half the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls. During the End Phase of the turn this effect is activated: Take damage equal to the amount of ATK this card gained. If this card has "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" as an Xyz Material, it gains the following effect:

You take no damage from card effects.

* * *

 _The Duel is over, and now both Yuto and Reizo have some explaining to do. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl has taken an interest in Reizo, and intends to befriend him regardless of the consequences._

 _Next time: The Three Summons_


	7. Chapter 6: The Three Summons

" _Onee-sama! I think I found the anomaly from the Standard Dimension!"_

…

" _Mhmm! A Duel just finished at Heartland Academy that involved both Synchro and Fusion Summons. Can I go—"_

…

" _I am_ not _making this up just to go see my friends! Look, I even took a video of the Summon Detector pinpointing it because I knew you wouldn't believe me!"_

…

" _I know, I know. I'll be back as soon as I meet that boy from Standard. See you, onee-sama!"_

…

"… _I just wish I could live a normal life, with normal friends, and normal worries. Not wondering when my own power will kill me…"_

 **Chapter 6: The Three Summons**

" _I lost…"_

The black-haired, purple-eyed boy could not believe it. He had _lost_ to someone that had no idea what Synchro or Fusion monsters were when having those cards should have given him a clear advantage. He had _lost_ and… and he actually felt relieved about it. This was not a high-stakes Duel in a tournament, just a friendly match. And… And his mother wasn't here to scold him for losing; to remind him that he was as much a face of Leo Duel School as his brother and that he should not lose to _anyone_.

And then his relief immediately vanished when he remembered _why_ his mother wasn't here to scold him. It had only been a few days and he already missed his family…

"That. Was. Amazing!" Ruri shouted, running over to help Reizo up. "Sure, I've never heard of those two types of monsters you used, but you _really_ had Yuto backed up against the wall! He only brings out _Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ as his final trump card!"

"For once, she's telling the truth," Yuto added with a nod. He ignored the glare she shot at him as he continued, "It's been ages since I've had to use that card. I'm glad I was able to have a Duel with you, Reizo. But…" The joy on his face faded, leaving him looking entirely serious. "Those cards you used, Synchro and Fusion, what are they and why do you have them?"

Reizo looked away; he'd known this was coming and he doubted they would believe him. He briefly considered coming up with some falsity to explain it, but he _hated_ lying with a passion. That only left the truth. He sighed before looking back at the two Heartland natives. "I told you, they're both other forms of Extra Deck cards that exist where I'm from. But, see… the reason they don't exist here is… I'm from another dimension."

To Reizo's surprise, neither one of the Heartland natives laughed at him or reacted in a way that was as though they disbelieved him. In fact, without missing a beat, Ruri asked, "So, you're like a Barian?"

"Huh…?"

"No, it's not like that, Ruri," Yuto said. "He's from a place called Maiami City. In some dimension called Standard, right?"

"I'm… I'm confused. How do you… how do you already know?" Reizo was _certain_ that the only person he told about his past was Tenjo Kaito because he'd been certain that no one would believe that he was from another world.

Wait. Tenjo.

"…Your father told you about me, didn't he?" Reizo asked.

Yuto grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well… not _directly_. I overheard Dad talking to Mom last night about you. …I didn't know it was _you_ he was talking about until you Synchro Summoned, but… yeah."

 _Figures…_ "I see." Reizo turned to Ruri, who was still mostly confused. Yuto hadn't told anyone about what he overheard then. So he showed her _Amethyss_ and _Colorless_ , explaining to both how you would go about Summoning them. Then he explained that he was told the world was split into four main dimensions, three of them named after each Extra Deck Summon method, and the fourth being Standard because they could all be used there. Unfortunately, he didn't know much about why it was all a thing, and he regrettably had no way of getting home.

They were both quiet for a few moments as they tried wrapping their heads around this fact. Then…

"Well, we'll just have to build a transporter or something!" Ruri exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Yuto, didn't your dad help build one of those like, fifteen years ago?"

"I think so… I'll have to ask when I get home."

"You guys can… do that?" Reizo raised an eyebrow at his two new friends. … _Friends? Hm… I suppose they_ are… This Dimension was very strange compared to what he was used to. "You'd be willing to help me get home even though you've known me for less than an hour and I could totally be lying to you right now?"

"I don't see why not," Ruri replied.

"And… you don't know him much, but it's like Tadashi says; anyone you have an honest Duel with is your friend."

Reizo smiled his first real smile since ending up trapped in this world. Who knew it was so easy to make friends here? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad waiting here…

"RURIIIIIIII~! YUTOOOOOO~!" a high-pitched voice squealed from the entrance to the courtyard. It drew the attention of those she was calling to and Reizo, who watched as a teenager with mostly-black hair (there was a yellow highlight down the left side, framing her face) ran up to them. Though it wasn't cold out, she had on a yellow jacket with sleeves so long her fingertips were barely visible, and a pair of dark jeans.

Ruri's face brightened immediately, and she ran over and hugged the approaching teenager. "No way! Mimi!"

 _Mimi…?_

"Kazuki Naomi," Yuto explained upon noticing Reizo's confusion. "She's a good friend of Shun—Ruri's brother—and ours, too, even though she's three years older than us and one older than Shun." He paused for a moment, smiling. "It's been awhile since we've seen her."

The two girls stopped hugging—and now the age difference was definitely noticeable, Naomi standing a full head and a half taller than Ruri. Naomi then waves at Yuto, still smiling. "Been a while, huh?"

"It certainly has. Dusk finally let you out?"

"Mhmm." The dark-haired girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Nee-chan's always so strict when it comes to me. _So_ annoying." After saying that, she spared a glance at Reizo, and raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, haven't seen you before. I'm—"

"Kazuki Naomi, Yuto told me that when you were busy squealing with Ruri."

Naomi laughed a little, rubbing the back of her head. "Wow, you're not one to hold back. I think I like you already. Um… what's your name?"

"Reizo."

The rest of the day, up until they all went home, was full of Naomi both trying to catch up with Yuto and Ruri, but also trying to find out as much as she could about Reizo. No mention was made of being from another dimension, thankfully, but Reizo couldn't help but find it annoying that this strange girl essentially wanted his life story right after meeting him for the first time. Though… if she's good friends with Yuto and Ruri, she couldn't be _too_ bad of a person. It was just, he didn't like having to come up with lies about his past on the spot since she didn't know about the other dimensions like he did.

He ended up getting back to the orphanage well over three hours after school was over with, and was surprised that he didn't get in trouble for that.

* * *

Yuto wished that Naomi could have stayed with them longer—they hadn't seen her for _months_ because of how strict her sister was, but she was only allowed a certain amount of time out and about, and she had yet to see Shun, so he understood. Honestly Shun deserved to see Naomi more than they did; aside from Ruri, Shun wouldn't really open up to anyone else. He couldn't help but frown as he watched Naomi run off with Ruri, though, undoubtedly heading towards the Kurosaki household.

Then he sighed, turning down the street his house was on. It wasn't like he could do anything to get Dusk to loosen the metaphorical leash she had on her younger sister and let her out more often.

"I'm home!" he called inside, dropping his backpack by the door.

His mother looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. "Ah, Yuto. How was school?"

The black-and-purple-haired boy matched Droite's smile perfectly. "It was great, actually. Naomi was allowed to hang out for a little while, and I also made a new friend, too! His name's Reizo." He paused for a second, noted the recognition of the name that his mother briefly exhibited, and added, "I… actually know that he's the boy Dad found wandering through Heartland three days ago… and that he's from another dimension."

"He told you that himself?"

Yuto nodded, but also mentioned that he overheard them both talking last night about it. There wasn't much point in hiding that fact, especially not with what he wanted to ask about. _It's not right that he has to stay at that orphanage when his family_ is _still alive. And, well, if Dad's going to help get him home, he should be able to…_ "Um… Mom… do you think that Reizo could… maybe… stay with us until he can get home?"

 _Please say yes, please say yes, please say—_

His mother reached over and ruffled his hair. "Sorry Yuto, I can tell you really want the answer to be yes, but I'm afraid it can't be."

Yuto's eyes widened in shock. "But—"

"I wasn't finished. Someone else has already decided they're going to take care of Reizo for the time being."

 _Someone… else…?_

* * *

The black-haired girl ran through the streets of Heartland. She hadn't wanted to involve her friends in the mission her sister had given her, but she couldn't resist the chance to see Shun. And yet, the time she'd spent at the Kurosaki household might have put her mission in danger. She had to get to Reizo and have an _actual_ conversation with him, not the one both of them had filled with lies. For Naomi should not know of alternate dimensions, and Reizo should not even be here. It was only fair that they'd both lied.

She paused to catch her breath, leaning against the sign for the orphanage. _Mari's Home for Boys_. This was the place where Reizo was supposed to be.

"Are you alright, miss?"

Her golden eyes snapped open, and she instinctively quit leaning on the sign. The concerned voice belonged to a man with blue eyes and long silver hair tied in a braid that rested over his left shoulder. He was wearing a white suit, with a dark-blue vest over his shirt. And… for some reason, she thought his face looked pretty familiar.

"Oh, me? I'm fine," Naomi replied. "Just not used to sprinting for ten minutes straight." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pin. The letters "L" and "S" were in yellow, with the space between the two dark and shaped like the letter "D", and the rest of the pin that fanned out to the other side of the "S" was white. "See, there's a new kid who goes to Heartland Academy, and a friend of mine saw him drop this pin, but they're too busy to return it, so I said I'd bring it over here and return it."

 _Right. More like I totally stole it as an excuse to talk to Reizo again._ But the stranger totally bought her story, and she inwardly sighed in relief. Naomi offered the man one last smile and a wave before running up to the front of the orphanage.

The blonde woman behind the front desk looked up, adjusting her glasses. "Hi, sweetie. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Akaba Reizo. He dropped this pin a little while ago and I wanted to return it to him."

A few minutes passed. The woman returned with Reizo in tow, no longer in the Heartland Academy uniform but in a black hoodie and jeans. At first he seemed confused to see her, but when she revealed the LDS pin, his purple eyes widened in shock. He practically snatched it out of Naomi's hand, turning it over in his hands.

"Um… thanks, I had no idea I dropped it…" he said quietly.

Naomi grinned. "No problem at all, Reizo! I guess that pin means a lot to you, huh?"

There was a short period of silence as he just stared at the pin. "Yeah… it's important to me. You wouldn't understand."

 _Ah, so it's important to him because of something in the Standard Dimension. I see how it is._ "I wouldn't understand? C'mon, I might seem like a bit of a ditz sometimes, but I'm actually a lot smarter than I appear."

Reizo shook his head, his eyes narrowed slightly. "I just…"

"Pardon me," another voice interrupted. It was the silver-haired stranger that she'd bumped into outside. She had no idea he was _also_ headed to the orphanage. His attention wasn't on her, though; he was looking at Reizo. "You're Reizo, correct? Akaba Reizo?"

The boy raised an eyebrow, the defensive look gone and replaced with confusion. "Yes, why?"

The silver-haired man extended a hand to him, as though to shake hands. "I'm Christopher Arclight. My friend Kaito told me about your predicament, and I'm here to help you."

Naomi bit the inside of her lip, backing away from the two. _Tsk. Someone else beat us to the punch._ "Um… I'll… see you around, Reizo. Bye!" Not waiting for a response, she turned and ran out of the orphanage. _Sorry, onee-sama. I guess you won't be able to do anything with him now. That Arclight man got him first. I just wonder… how could that man know about other dimensions already? And, didn't he mention a friend—Kaito?—that also knew of it?_

Well. At least she wasn't going back to her sister empty-handed.

* * *

 **A/N: Before I address this chapter, I need to point out that I made several mistakes in the Duel last chapter, and have since corrected them. I also modified the effects of** _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **and** _ **Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon**_ **; now** _ **Amethyss**_ **has a potent drawback and** _ **Dark Rebellion**_ **has what I think is a slightly better effect as an upgrade to the first one. (For the record, even** _ **without**_ **the changes to these effects, Reizo still would have lost.)**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, on to this chapter. Ruri and Yuto already have knowledge of other worlds—Barian and Astral—and just in case I never get around to explaining it in the story proper, they know this because Kaito and Droite have told them stories, along with Tadashi repeating stories that** _ **his**_ **parents told him.**

 **Also, two new important characters have made their appearance, and a third has been named. Naomi, unlike some other OCs in this story that'll appear only once or twice, will** _ **definitely**_ **be a recurring character. And her knowledge of the other Dimensions? Heheh. You'll have to wait and see.**

 **Chris, on the other hand. I dunno, I really liked him in ZEXAL, why wouldn't I use him if I had a place for him in the plot? (Also, Naomi recognized his face because she's seen Thomas/IV Dueling on TV. No super off-the-wall reasons for that.)**

 **Anyways… well. Next chapter should be fun. I hope you guys stick around and drop a review, maybe?**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Reizo's settled into life in Heartland for the time being. One day, Ruri decides to bring him and her friends along to go see someone perform. But who is it…?_

 _Next time: Heartland's Entertainer_


	8. Chapter 7: Heartland's Entertainer

" _Are you kidding me?! The coordinates for the Xyz Dimension changed_ again _!"_

…

" _Sigh… no matter, it just pushes the invasion back again. The lucky humans."_

…

"… _I wonder just who did it this time…?"_

…

" _Hm. I'm not surprised, this was the result of Akaba's elder son. Should be expected of such a_ 'prodigy' _."_

…

" _But it wasn't just him… I wonder who that kook in a clown costume was. Seems to me he was_ really _the cause of the mistake."_

…

" _Oh-ho~what do we have here? The immortal witch C.C. in Standard?"_

…

"… _Well this is quite the entertaining development. Quite entertaining indeed."_

…

 **Chapter 7: Heartland's Entertainer**

The silver-haired, blue-eyed man spared a glance at the boy he'd be taking care of for the foreseeable future in the rear-view mirror. It had taken the boy a mere five minutes to gather his things—a Duel Disk unlike one he'd ever seen before and a single set of the uniform for Heartland Academy. Considering he could have only obtained the uniform after arriving in this dimension, the only things that truly belonged to Akaba Reizo were the clothes on his back and his cards. And right now, Reizo was staring blankly out the window, his hood pulled up as if to hide from the world.

At least, that is what it would look like to any other person. Chris recognized the look on the boy's face—he was deep in thought, trying to analyze the situation he was currently faced with. It was a look he'd worn so many times before, during, and after the Numbers War.

"We'll be arriving shortly," Chris said.

Reizo jerked away from the window, broken out of his stupor by the sudden noise. His shoulders tensed briefly, but relaxed immediately after. "…Why?"

"Hm? Why what?"

His violet eyes looked away from the mirror once he realized Chris had looked up at him through it. "Why… Why me? The other boys at that place, they've been there a lot longer than I have—I've only been here for a few days! And you already know my story, no doubt. So I don't understand… How can you already believe me, and why do you want to help me?"

Without missing a beat, the adult replied, "Because I know what it's like to be ripped away from your family…" Images of the young Michael and Thomas being taken away and sent to an institution after their father's disappearance flashed before his eyes. "…And I know what it's like to be reunited with them, too."

"R-Really…?"

Chris stopped and parked the car, having arrived at his family's home. He turned in his seat, looking right at Reizo. "Does it look like I would lie to a child? …Anyways, we've arrived. We'll talk later inside, is that alright with you?"

He nodded quickly, looking away from Chris.

* * *

Reizo really wasn't sure _what_ to expect when he stepped out of the vehicle. Even though he'd been staring out the window the entire ride, he hadn't been focusing on the city around him. He'd been trying to come up with every sort of way possible to explain the situation he was currently in. The most likely explanation so far, Kaito and this Christopher Arclight were already aware of other dimensions for some reason. He just didn't know the reason…

But all thoughts of that left his mind when he looked up and saw where he'd be staying until he could make it home to Standard. This place… this wasn't just a normal house, it was _huge_ , with ornate designs on the outer walls and a wonderful garden of flowers leading up to the door. The sheer size of it… it could pass for a fancy hotel. Such a nice mansion, Chris lived here?

As if noticing his surprise, Chris quickly said, "This is my family's home, has been for many generations. Though, some of the decorative walls are more recent. My father has… a bit of an eccentric taste, to say the least."

He recalled his own home in Maiami, and LDS Tower, and the rather extravagant campus of Academia—it was a _castle_ after all—and the pristine uniforms those who attended it were wearing, complete with those light-blue masks, Reizo muttered, "Mine too… I think."

An awkward silence passed between the two, likely because Chris did not want to make Reizo any more upset than he already was. Not that speaking about his father would make him upset at all; Akaba Leo had left them so long ago that he could barely remember his father, and all he felt towards him was anger.

As they walked up to the entrance, Reizo said, "Who else lives here?"

"Just my father," Chris replied without missing a beat, "though my brothers do visit from time to time."

The mention of brothers made Reizo's shoulders tense up. _Reiji…_ But he forced down his homesickness and quickened his pace to catch up with his temporary guardian. It wouldn't hurt to get comfortable here… he had no idea how long it could be until he could get home.

* * *

Several months passed after Reizo first found himself under Christopher Arclight's care. In that time, no progress had been made on creating a machine to transport him back home. However, Reizo's homesickness faded into the background as he grew used to the way life worked in Heartland. It wasn't that he didn't miss _home_ … he'd do _anything_ to see his brother and his mother again. But… staying here wasn't so bad an option as he'd originally thought. It was nice, having friends for once. Back in Maiami, where everyone knew his name and judged him for it, it had been hard to find people to bond with.

Here? He was happy that Ruri had steamrolled him his first day at school. At least he'd been lucky enough to meet the few kids that understood his background thanks to her. Yuto, Reizo was determined to defeat the black-and-purple-haired boy one day, but until then at least they could share smiles. Naomi, the ditzy older girl Ruri had befriended through her brother, never stopped trying to make everyone laugh. Even Tadashi—though he didn't know of Standard and could be _quite_ annoying when he incessantly demanded to Duel people—was fun to be around.

He would miss them when the time came to go home…

A rolled-up notebook smacked his forehead— _why is that feeling familiar_ —and the violet-eyed boy nearly fell out of his seat in surprise. The offending notebook was in Ruri's hands, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"…Finally got your attention, huh? You've been zoned out for the past ten minutes, or didn't you realize class is over already?" She returned the notebook to her bag. "Seriously Reizo, just what is it that goes through your head to distract you so much?"

"I was just reminiscing…" He rubbed his forehead lightly, noting that Yuto was hovering by the door, waiting for them both. He grabbed his bag and stood up. "Sorry about that. …Where is it you're taking us again?"

"Haven't you been paying attention to me the whole week? To go see one of _the_ best entertainers the streets of Heartland has to offer! You guys never come with me, it's finally time you both see him perform!"

And with that, the girl led her two friends through the city, Tadashi tagging along with them along the way. The green-haired boy wasn't too happy that he wouldn't get to Duel Yuto that day, but the promise of seeing an entertainer was enough to satisfy him… for the moment at least.

By the time they got to where the entertainer was performing, there was already quite the crowd. Ruri wiggled through it, though, and the rest of them followed suit. They found themselves watching a Duel between two boys—both redheads, actually—though while the one on the left had hair jagged enough to look like lightning bolts, the other's spiked up like Tadashi's, and his bangs were yellow.

The boy on the left was the taller, definitely older one. His eyes were bright green, with a beauty mark underneath the right one. He wore a strange combination of clothes, though: an orange jacket missing its right sleeve over the top of a longsleeved light-blue shirt, a black glove _only_ on his left hand, and dark pants with red sneakers.

The other had on a maroon hoodie with a crisscrossed design of yellow on it—almost like train tracks—white pants, and yellow boots. His eyes were teal, and filled with determination, like he was just about to win.

Which wasn't that much of a stretch. The older boy only had one monster on his field, a black sphere with a crooked mouth, huge green eyes, a blue pointed hat with stars on it, and a red cape. Meanwhile, the younger one had a massive blue train as a monster, flames along the bottom, and the front which looked like a yellow wolf's head. Two spheres of light orbited the train—Xyz Materials.

 _ **Performage Flame Eater**_ **: FIRE Spellcaster-Type / Level 4 / 1200 ATK / 1600 DEF**

 _ **Heavy-Armored Train Iron Wolf**_ **: EARTH Machine-Type / Rank 4 / 2200 + 800 → 3000 ATK / 2200 DEF**

 **Dennis' Life Points: 2500. Allen's Life Points: 2700.**

"Man, we missed the start…" Ruri whined, shooting Reizo a quick glare. He sheepishly smiled, remembering when she'd hit him over the head with her notebook. But as soon as she'd done that, she turned her attention back to the Duel—specifically, the taller redhead. "Dennis!" she called, waving at him. The biggest smile was on her face.

Dennis heard her, turning his head slightly. The smile on his face grew wider, and he winked at Ruri. "Ah, my star audience member has finally arrived! I believe it's about time for the grand finale, no?"

"It's the grand finale for _you_ , Dennis!" the other boy shouted.

… _He goes to our school. Allen, I think his name is?_ Reizo thought.

"Thanks to _Trolley Olley_ , my _Iron Wolf_ has 3000 ATK," Allen said. "And while you might have a monster on your field, that doesn't mean anything once I activate _Iron Wolf's_ effect! I can use one of its Xyz Materials to let it attack you directly this turn!"

The wolf-train ate one of the lights circling it, and then flaming tracks extended beneath its wheels, tracing a path around Dennis' oddball monster.

" _Oh no_!" Dennis exclaimed, a somewhat exaggerated sound. He would lose should he take that attack. The smile left his face for a moment… only to return within a second as he wagged his finger at his opponent. "Tsk, tsk, don't you know a magician always has a trick up his sleeve?" Moving his hand to his Duel Disk, he declared, "I activate my Trap Card _Miracle Silk Hat_!"

A burst of smoke filled everyone's eyes briefly. When it vanished, their surroundings seemed to have changed into a cartoonish version of outer space, a galaxy close behind them. Most of the crown gaped at the detailed hologram, and a couple gasped. Ruri was one of them. Dennis and his monster were nowhere to be seen, but two giant hats floated where they had been, one blue and one red. Allen's train had stopped, its glowing tracks having branched off to lead towards either hat.

"What?" Allen looked around fervently, no sign of Dennis. "Where did he go?"

"I'm under one of the hats, of course," Dennis' voice echoed. "A direct attack like that would have been a very anticlimactic ending, don't you agree? This is _much_ more fun!" He paused briefly. "Now then, under one of these hats is me and a 0 ATK monster. If you attack that one, the damage is doubled—not that it matters—and I lose. However, under the other is a Spell Card. Choose that one, and I take no damage at all. What will it be?"

 _A fifty-fifty chance, huh?_

"…I choose the red one!" Allen shouted, pointing at it. The track leading to the blue hat disappeared, and the wolf-train barreled into the red hat. Beneath it… was a Spell Card called _Bubble Barrier_. The Spell burst, shimmering water reflecting the lights of the stars around them. Reizo couldn't keep a smile from forming on his face; he'd had no idea that the right combination of cards could look this beautiful.

Dennis made the sound of a buzzer declaring a wrong answer had been picked on a game show, the galaxy disappearing and the scenery returning to normal. A second _Flame Eater_ sapped of its power floated before him, and shattered a few seconds later. "I told you I had a trick up my sleeve. Is that all for your turn?"

Allen frowned, eyeing the only card in his hand. "Yeah… I end my turn."

Dennis' grin grew wider. "Good, it's my turn!" He drew his card, and he immediately placed it on his Duel Disk. "I Summon _Performage Mirror Conductor_!"

A silver mirror with a smiling face on it appeared in front of Dennis. It had arms and legs sticking out of its sides, clothed in purple, and dark curled-up shoes with pink cotton balls on the top of the ankles. Around the entire monster was a silver cloak patterned with stars, the inside a deep burgundy color. In its right hand, the mirror held a conductor's baton.

 _ **Performage Mirror Conductor**_ **: LIGHT Spellcaster-Type / Level 4 / 600 ATK / 1400 DEF**

"It's almost time for the star of the show to appear… but one more part needs to be filled!" Dennis declared. "I activate _Mirror Conductor's_ effect! The ATK and DEF of your _Heavy-Armored Train Iron Wolf_ are switched, although I have to take 500 damage as a result!"

The face on the mirror disappeared for a moment, reflecting the train instead. The stats of the train then appeared in the mirror, and reversed themselves. With that done, _Mirror Conductor_ slapped its own master on the wrist with its baton.

 _ **Heavy-Armored Train Iron Wolf**_ **: 3000 → 2200 ATK / 2200 → 3000 DEF**

 **Dennis' Life Points: 2500 - 500 → 2000**

"What's the point, both your monsters still have lower attack than my _Iron Wolf_!"

The older redhead wagged his gloved finger again. "Weren't you listening? The star of this show has yet to appear!" He turned to the audience, his arms outstretched. "Take a look at my field, ladies and gentlemen. I have no more Spell or Trap Cards, and my hand is empty. However… both of my monsters are Level 4!"

Ruri elbowed both Yuto and Reizo in the sides. "Here it comes, Dennis' best card!"

The murmur of "Xyz Summon" ran through the crowd as the two monsters circled into a red galaxy. " _Show must go on!_ _Artisan of the air, swing across the stage with grace! Xyz Summon! Appear now! Rank 4! Performage Trapeze Magician!"_ Dennis chanted.

The first thing to appear was the trapeze, a violet pole strung up to the sky with glowing yellow ropes. A split-second later, the rest of the monster appeared, one of his giant gloved hands holding onto the trapeze. His clothes were bright teal trimmed with purple fur around his hips and shoulders, curled shoes just like _Mirror Conductor's_ on his feet. His eyes were covered by a magenta mask—the same color as the outside of his cloak, and a teal-colored magician's hat rested on his head. The monster seemed to laugh at everyone as he began swinging around, scattering sparkles across the field.

 _ **Performage Trapeze Magician**_ **: LIGHT Spellcaster-Type / Rank 4 / 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF**

Ruri practically started jumping around, her pink eyes filled with joy. "Woohoo~Dennis!"

The sound of snare drums rolling could suddenly be heard from somewhere, as two spotlights from nowhere focused on _Performage Trapeze Magician_. Dennis lept up—and much to the surprise of almost everyone there except Ruri, his monster _actually caught him_. Reizo gawked in amazement; such a feat should only be accomplished in an Action Duel, which this certainly was not. " _It's showtime_!" Dennis cried out, as exaggerated as his previous exclamation had been. "By using an Xyz Material, _Performage Trapeze Magician_ lets himself attack twice this turn!"

Allen's eyes widened—that meant…!

One of the lights circling the magician and his master disappeared into the trapeze with a burst of light, at the same time that Dennis declared an attack on Allen's monster. The two swung through the air, Dennis jumping off just as _Trapeze Magician_ kicked the train in the face. The latter monster shattered, a burst of wind causing Allen to shield his face.

 **Allen's Life Points: 2700 - 300 → 2400**

"And for the finale… _Trapeze Magician_ attacks you directly!" Dennis declared.

His monster swung over to the younger boy, pausing for a moment, before detaching his trapeze from the strings of light and tapping the boy on the head with it. Allen shouted, then fell on his rear.

 **Allen's Life Points: 2400 - 2500 → 0**

And the crowd erupted in cheers. Dennis helped his opponent up, and they both bowed. Allen didn't look particularly happy about losing, but still smiled. Soon after, Allen left with a lilac-haired girl Reizo vaguely recognized from school, and the rest of the crowd dispersed too. It left the plaza with regular passersby, Dennis, Ruri, Yuto, Tadashi, and Reizo, along with a large green hat that Dennis picked up off the ground. He fished through it for a moment before letting out a relieved sigh, removing some crumpled-up change and pocketing it. Then he flattened the hat and added it to a bag he had on him.

With that done, Dennis turned to face the group of four friends. That smile he'd flashed at Ruri when they'd first arrived was back on his face. "Ruri-chan, it always makes my day when you come to see my shows. I know you came late, but did you enjoy it?"

"Of course, Dennis!" Ruri replied, nodding. "My friends did too, right you guys?"

Tadashi replied with a resounding, "That was _wicked_ cool! Can I Duel you?"

Ruri laughed, "Not now, Tadashi."

"That was…" Reizo paused, trying to think of the right words. "That was a really fascinating Duel."

The redhead bowed, still smiling. "Thanks for the praise. Ah, and what did _you_ think…?" His attention turned to Yuto.

The black-and-purple-haired boy blinked as though jerked out of his own thoughts. "Huh?" He actually unclenched a fist. "Oh. I, thought it was nice."

" _Perfect_!" Dennis clapped his hands together. "Duels with smiles, that's what Sensei says. I'm glad I was able to do that today!"

"As though you'd ever fail at making people smile," Ruri teased, gently punching the redhead's arm. Then she gasped. "Ah, I never introduced my friends though! These are Reizo, Tadashi, and Yuto." She pointed at each when she named them.

"Reizo, Tadashi, and Yuto… I'll be sure to remember them! I'm Dennis Macfield, a student at Heartland Duel School. I perform here every weekday after school. I hope you come back to watch another one sometime soon!" The redhead bowed for the umpteenth time.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Tadashi continuously asking for _someone_ to Duel him, Ruri happily chatting with Dennis, and Reizo trying to find out more about this Duel School. Unlike in Maiami, where the Duel Schools were afterschool programs, here in Heartland they functioned as both a normal school and a Duel School all in one. They were simply for those over the age of twelve (with a few exceptions), and had a monthly tuition to be paid. Yuto politely excused himself, and went home ahead of everyone else.

… _Ruri and Yuto will both be twelve before the end of the school year… but I won't be until December,_ Reizo thought, somewhat disdainfully. _I hope I can be one of those few exceptions, getting stuck with only Tadashi to talk to would be…_ He shivered at the thought of having the hyperactive boy as his only friend at school.

* * *

 **A/N: …I'm so sorry for the huge wait. And the timeskip. And like everything. The biggest problem was writer's block, and it hit me** _ **hard**_ **. I couldn't figure out how I'd originally wanted my chapter to go (except the first two scenes, those I'd had written before the block hit) no matter how hard I tried. Then episode 112 came and my muses decided to just skip ahead to introducing Dennis. Oh, yeah, there's actually a reason why Dennis used one of Yusho's cards in this chapter by the way.**

 **Because Dennis. *Attempts to contain inner fangirl***

 **Another issue that arose was the show deciding to do a mini-arc for the Xyz Dimension, which I was not expecting. Needless to say… this story is EXTREMELY AU now. Obviously not every detail about the canon Xyz Dimension can line up now (the biggest obviously being everything about Kaito), but I'm trying to match everything up the best I can. See the existence of both Heartland Academy and Heartland Duel School in this.**

… **Hmm… there's not much left for the "calm before the storm"… Maybe just two or three more chapters. Then the** _ **fun**_ **begins… *Smirk***

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it** _ **was**_ **a bit unconventional. Please review!**

 **In the meantime… *Grabs Everything Shield and the Omega Yato* I need to go hunt down Faith. She's not too happy this chapter somewhat implied Dennis/Ruri instead of Yuto/Ruri, and if any of you have read my one-shot "Muses", you know just how dangerous she can be when raging about her OTPs. Wish me luck!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Since he's just a bit too young, Reizo has to take place in an exhibition match to see if he can get into Heartland Duel School just like his friends. And his opponent is…!_

 _Next time: The Soaring Falcon_


	9. Chapter 8: The Soaring Falcon

" _How much progress have you made on the transporter?"_

…

" _Oh, really? By his birthday? That's good news…"_

…

" _Hm? Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?"_

…

"… _Ah. No, it's just… my son's become good friends with Reizo over the past several months. I'm sure he'll be sad to see him go home, since Reizo was never meant to be here in the first place."_

…

"… _You have a good point. As long as the transporter isn't a one-way trip and his mother says it's alright…"_

…

" _Thanks for the update, Chris. If you need my help at all…"_

…

 **Chapter 8: The Soaring Falcon**

Reizo tensed in the stands as the current exhibition match came to a close. It had to be his turn soon; there was only a handful of eleven-year-olds trying to get into Heartland Duel School this year, and already three Duels had taken place. That was what it took to get in: win a Duel against one of the students of the school in front of all the other students and teachers.

"Reizo, chill. It's not like you to get nervous," Ruri said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him reassuringly. "I've seen you Duel, there's no way you're going to lose, okay?"

"Right." Reizo let his shoulders relax. He was getting worked up over nothing. His name was called, and he stood up, ready to Duel whoever he had to to get into this school. There was _no way_ he was going to let himself lose this, no matter his opponent. Ruri and Yuto gave him one last thumbs-up and a smile, and he made his way to the center of the arena.

A good deal of his confidence waned when he found out just who his opponent was supposed to be. A tall teenager wearing a blue trench coat walked to the opposite end of the field, his Duel Disk already ready. He had golden-colored eyes and straight blueish-black hair that reached his chin, with his dark teal bangs tucked to the side in the shape of a wing—a style that should be familiar because it was how Ruri chose to style her bangs as well.

* * *

Back in the stands, Ruri gaped at Reizo's opponent. "What? Oh man, who do I root for now?!"

Yuto agreed with her.

* * *

 _Who would have thought._ Reizo chuckled a little. "Kurosaki Shun, right? I never imagined _this_ would be our first proper meeting."

"Akaba Reizo. I've heard a lot about you from my sister," Shun responded. "Though, just because you're her friend does _not_ mean I will go easy on you!"

"And just because you're Ruri's brother doesn't mean I'll let you beat me!" Reizo powered on his Duel Disk, and both of them drew their starting hands. "Let's Duel!"

 **Shun's Life Points: 4000. Reizo's Life Points: 4000.**

The younger Duelist was always the one to get the first turn in these exhibition matches, so Reizo examined the cards in his hand. _The Gates of Dark World_ , _Dark World Dealings_ , _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_ , _Broww, Huntsman of Dark World_ , and _Gren, Tactician of Dark World_. Not the most ideal hand in terms of monsters, but he had a way to draw even more cards than before. "I'll start with the Spell _Dark World Dealings_! We each draw one card, then discard one from our hand!" He drew _Necro Gardna_ , and discarded _Broww_. "The card I discarded was _Broww, Huntsman of Dark World_ , whose effect allows me to draw an extra card since he was discarded," Reizo said.

 _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_. Good, he could lay down a defense this turn, see what Shun's cards can do on the next, and possibly bring out _Balak_ or _Amethyss_ after that. "I Summon _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_ in Defense Mode!"

A giant grey golem appeared on Reizo's field, its hands its largest feature. The palms of the monster were a bright orange.

 _ **Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 100 ATK / 2100 DEF**

"I'll end my turn by activating the Field Spell _The Gates of Dark World_ , which grants all Fiend-Type monsters an extra 300 ATK and DEF," Reizo finished, sliding the card into his Duel Disk. The spectators of the Duel vanished to the two Duelists, who found themselves surrounded by mist and purple lightning. A giant, demonic gate was behind Reizo.

 _ **Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World**_ **: 100 + 300 → 400 ATK / 2100 + 300 → 2300 DEF**

"My turn then, draw!" Shun declared. He looked over his hand for only a second before grabbing one of the cards. "I Summon _Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius_!"

A mechanical bird appeared in front of Shun, its main body a dark blue, but its wings, chest, and head green. Exhaust pipes stuck out as feathers on the bird's wings, and on its chest was a red symbol—two stylized Rs mirroring each other.

 _ **Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 4 / 1300 ATK / 1600 DEF**

"On the turn that I Summon this card, I can Special Summon a second _Vanishing Lanius_ from my hand," Shun continued, a second copy of the bird appearing on his field. "Then, because I control a _Vanishing Lanius_ , I can Special Summon _Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius_ from my hand as well!"

A smaller bird appeared on his field, its body purple rather than green. Parts of its wings were blue as well, and a green orb rested on its chest. The same stylized red symbol appeared on the plume of the bird's head.

 _ **Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 4 / 500 ATK / 1500 DEF**

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn," he declared.

… _Okay, he_ has _to be baiting me into a trap,_ Reizo thought as he eyed the two face-down cards. _He played all three of his monsters in Attack Mode even though they have a far better DEF stat, and despite having three Level 4 monsters, he didn't Xyz Summon._ "It's my turn, I draw!" _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_. That wouldn't be helpful in this situation. "I activate the second effect of my Field Spell! By banishing a Fiend-Type monster like _Broww_ from my Graveyard, I can then discard a Fiend-Type monster from my hand and draw another card!" He discarded _Gren_ and drew into _Foolish Burial_. "At this time, _Gren's_ effect activates: since he was discarded from my hand by a card effect, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card you control! I'm destroying the one on the left!"

The destroyed card was something called _Raidraptor - Desperate_. Reizo wasn't sure what it did—his Duel Disk, while it functioned in this Dimension, did not have certain cards from Xyz registered in its database, and since Shun's cards were in that category, he couldn't read their effects—but it didn't sound good so he was glad he destroyed it.

 _The question now is… do I use_ Oppal _to attack, or do I bring out_ Balak _or_ Amethyss _instead? His other card could still be the trap, or one of his monsters could have a secondary effect. …Hm._ Balak's _effect would ensure I'm not left defenseless at least._ Reizo nodded, sure of what he was going to do now. "I Summon _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_!"

A small humanoid creature in skeleton armor appeared, a bow in his hands. Three arrows rested in his quiver, the fourth already notched.

 _ **Oppal, Archer of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1000 + 300 → 1300 ATK / 300 +300 → 600 DEF**

"I Overlay my two Level 4 monsters!" Reizo declared, and he was so caught up in the chant that he didn't notice the slight smirk that graced his opponent's lips at the announcement. " _He who leads the forces of darkness, strike down the foes of Dark World! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Storm forth, Balak, Marshal of Dark World!_ "

The two monsters turned into separate spheres of light, diving into a galaxy of red light. The galaxy burst, and a large figure in black armor appeared before Reizo. The armor had three red orbs set into the breastplate, and the helm had horns that curved backwards. The monster held a massive broadsword in both hands, and his cape fluttered in the wind.

 _ **Balak, Marshal of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Rank 4 / 2200 + 300 → 2500 ATK / 1600 + 300 → 1900 DEF**

* * *

"If nii-san's face-down is what I think it is, I don't think Reizo should have Xyz Summoned," Ruri said, chewing on her lip.

"Mm. Reizo's never seen Shun Duel before, though, and I doubt he's heard of what the 'Raidraptor' archetype does," Yuto mused. "This is gonna be a _lot_ harder for him than he thinks it is."

* * *

" _Balak, Mashal of Dark World_! Attack _Raidraptor - Fuzz_ —"

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Raidraptor - Rapid Xyz_!" Shun interrupts, flipping up his remaining face-down card. All three of his monsters turned into separate spheres of light just like Reizo's had a moment ago, and the familiar galaxy appeared again. "Because you control a Special Summoned monster, I can Xyz Summon a 'Raidraptor' monster using the monsters I control!"

… _Tsk. If I hadn't Xyz Summoned…!_

" _Obscured falcon! Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!_ " Shun chanted.

The galaxy burst, and out flew an even larger mechanical bird than before. It had two sets of wings, the lower ones smaller than the main ones, but continued the theme of having exhaust pipes for feathers. The bird's wings were blue, with yellow disks set in them, while its head and neck were a green of the same shade as _Vanishing Lanius_. Just like the other two monsters, _Rise Falcon_ also had the two Rs emblazoned on its neck.

 _ **Raidraptor - Rise Falcon**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Rank 4 / 100 ATK / 2000 DEF**

" _Rapid Xyz_ also allows me to activate _Rise Falcon's_ effect: by detaching one of its Xyz Materials, _Rise Falcon_ gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of all your Special Summoned monsters until the end of this turn," Shun explained as his monster absorbed one of the lights circling it and burst into flames.

 _ **Raidraptor - Rise Falcon**_ **: 100 + 2500 → 2600 ATK**

Reizo scowled, that really wasn't good for him. _Balak_ couldn't counter that effect, and he didn't have anything he could use to stop an attack either except for _Necro Gardna_ , but that had to be in the Graveyard and it was in his hand. "I… I end my turn, then."

 _ **Raidraptor - Rise Falcon**_ **: 2600 → 100 ATK**

A smile tugged at the edges of Shun's mouth as he drew his next card. "You've still got a lot to learn about Xyz Summoning. I activate the Spell _Rank-Up-Magic - Raid Force_!"

Reizo's face paled, forgetting the taunt. _He uses Rank-Up too?_

"Using _Rise Falcon_ as the Xyz Material, I Xyz Summon a different 'Raidraptor' that's one Rank higher than it! _Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!_ " Shun chanted.

The blue-and-green falcon spiraled into yet another galaxy of red light, to be replaced by another larger mechanical falcon. This one had a color motif of red and orange, with even more of the yellow disks sprayed out across its body, a triangle of them on each side where its wings met its body. The red symbol was on its chest, set atop black betal.

 _ **Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon**_ **: DARK Winged Beast / Rank 5 / 1000 ATK / 2000 DEF**

* * *

Ruri grinned as she watched her older brother make his move. "That's my brother for you! Turning the tables with his Rank-Up-Magic!"

"I wonder if Reizo can keep up…" Yuto wondered.

* * *

"I activate _Blaze Falcon's_ monster effect! By using one Xyz Material, all Special Summoned monsters you control are destroyed, and you take 500 damage for each one!" Shun continued.

One of the three lights circling the red falcon disappeared into its chest. The falcon's eyes lit up a bright teal, and green light burst from each and every exhaust pipe attached to its wings. From each of those lights, red machines that looked almost like actual feathers hovered around Reizo's monster, bombarding it with lasers. The armored demon attempted to raise his sword, but the lasers were too much for him. He shattered into a million pieces of light, the blast provoking a gust enough for Reizo to shield his face from.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 4000 - 500 → 3500**

… _At least…!_ "Because _Balak_ was destroyed, I can Special Summon the Xyz Material it still had attached until the end of my next turn!" Reizo shouted, reviving his two monsters in Defense Mode. _Renge_ and _Oppal_ both had DEF that surpassed _Blaze Falcon's_. He was safe.

…Or not. " _Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon_ can attack my opponent directly," Shun declared, immediately putting a damper to that hope. His monster swooped down and slammed into Reizo—and he was _so_ glad this wasn't an Action Duel because that would have sent him flying.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 3500 - 1000 → 2500**

The thought of Action Duels made him grimace. Just another reminder of home—even if he _didn't_ miss them.

Shun stared at Reizo's monsters for a moment, then pointed at _Oppal_. "When _Blaze Falcon_ inflicts battle damage, it has the effect to destroy a monster you control."

" _Another_ destruction effect?"

"At least this one doesn't deal _damage_."

That did not stop Reizo from almost hissing in annoyance when his Tuner monster blew up under a different barrage from the red falcon. He would have _certainly_ preferred it had _Oppal_ remained on the field because then its effect wouldn't have been necessary to Synchro Summon on his next turn.

"I'll Set a card, and that ends my turn," Shun finished after looking over the one card still in his hand, now empty from playing it.

"Finally… It's my turn! Draw!" _Polymerization_. The smile typical for Reizo when things went his way appeared on his face. Oh, that was _definitely_ the best card he could have drawn. "I'll start by Tributing _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_ to Summon _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_!"

A large, winged fiend appeared before Reizo. It had horns on either side of its head, and the top of its wings looked the exact same. The monster was a silverish color, jagged armor covering its body.

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 6 / 2400 + 300 → 2700 ATK / 0 + 300 → 300 DEF**

"Then, from my Graveyard, the effect of _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_ activates! I can discard a card from my hand in order banish _Oppal_ along with a non-Tuner 'Dark World' monster… and perform a Synchro Summon!" Reizo declared, confident that this would not steer him wrong.

* * *

Many of those in the audience stared at the young boy in confusion, wondering what he meant. Those that had already seen him Duel knew of the "unique" Summoning methods he possessed, but didn't say anything to those confused. It was best seen rather than explained.

One teacher in particular cracked a smile in response to the announcement. "A Synchro Summon… so he _is_ that Akaba Reizo…"

* * *

"I discard _Necro Gardna_ and Tune my Level 4 _Oppal_ with my Level 4 _Renge_!" Both monsters reappeared on his field for a moment, then the former shot all four of its arrows to the sky, each turning into a green ring that circled _Renge_ in a column. " _Mad ruler, extend your kingdom across the earth! Claim everything in the name of Dark World! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Arise, Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World!_ " Reizo chanted.

The rings vanished. In their place stood a demonic woman with violet skin, a dark crown resting on her head. Her armor was a dark grey, amethysts set in a line along her torso for decoration. Her weapon of choice was a staff made of bone, the top of it a skull. The skull's eyes had been filled with rubies.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2600 + 300 → 2900 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF**

"So _this_ is a Synchro Monster…" Shun muttered.

" _Amethyss_ gains 200 ATK for every card in my hand, but she also has an effect that activates upon her Synchro Summon! I get to draw three cards!" Reizo explained. He drew his cards— _The Forces of Darkness_ , _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_ , and _Hallowed Life Barrier_. That was even _more_ ideal.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 2900 + 1000 → 3900**

"Next, I activate the Spell _Foolish Burial_ , allowing me to send _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_ from my Deck to the Graveyard," Reizo said, though _Amethyss_ lost 200 ATK in the process of dropping a card from his hand. "With that done, I activate the effect of my Field Spell again! I banish _Balak_ from my Graveyard and discard _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_ from my hand to draw a card! And when _Beiige_ is discarded, I can Special Summon it instead!"

A fiend holding a lance made of bone appeared on the field. It also wore bone as armor over its torso and head.

 _ **Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1600 + 300 → 1900 ATK / 1300 + 300 → 1600 DEF**

He drew his card. _Ceruli, Guru of Dark World_. Not as relevant, but definitely better Fusion Material than having to use _Lucent_. "The effect of _Grapha_ activates from the Graveyard! By returning _Beiige_ to my hand, I can Special Summon _Grapha_ to take its place!"

The dragon that appeared was less dragon and more demon, the spikes on its knees and elbows curved threateningly, and the horns protruding from its head not much better. The grey dragon's pitch-black wings spread out, and its eyes glowed red with fury.

 _ **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2700 + 300 → 3000 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF**

"And for the last touch… I activate my Spell _Polymerization_!" Reizo said, grinning. "This lets me fuse the _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_ and _Ceruli, Guru of Dark World_ that are in my hand! _Vanguard of shadows and sage of hell! Combine your strength in the midst of unlight and bring forth the supreme ruler of Dark World! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World!_ "

A demon stepped out of the portal of light behind Reizo, its entire body pitch-black. Shadows dripped off the monster like rainfall, scattering upon hitting the ground. Its clawed hands grasped a bone-encrusted sword almost as wide as the demon itself.

 _ **Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 3000 + 300 → 3300 ATK / 2100 + 300 → 2400 DEF**

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 3700 → 3300 ATK**

"Fusion too… hm."

"I _did_ say I wasn't going to let you beat me," Reizo said. Then he threw his arm out, declaring, "Using _Colorless'_ effect, I can add one of my banished cards to my hand. I choose _Gren, Tactician of Dark World_!"

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 3300 → 3500 ATK**

His field was ready. But… that face-down card… Reizo narrowed his eyes at it. Shun still looked confident despite the fact that his monster was vulnerable compared to the two monsters Reizo already had out. Should he go ahead and conduct his Battle Phase? Considering that Shun's cards have been anti-Special Summoned monsters so far… "Battle! _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_ attacks _Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon_!"

His monster struck the red falcon in the chest, shattering it immediately.

 **Shun's Life Points: 4000 - 1700 → 2300**

But then… Shun revealed his last face-down card, and Reizo _knew_ he should have gone through with Fusion Summoning _Colorless_ already. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Rank-Up-Magic - Raptor's Force_!" Ruri's brother announced. The familiar galaxy of light reappeared before him, as did _Blaze Falcon_ for a moment before spiraling into it. "I Special Summon the monster you just destroyed, and make it Rank Up to another 'Raidraptor' that is one rank higher!"

 _He has_ two _Rank Up cards?!_

" _Prideful falcon. Spread your wings, dyed in the blood of heroes, and charge through the path of revolution! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 6! Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon!_ "

The galaxy exploded. Now, a black falcon with only one set of wings appeared in front of Shun, far fewer exhaust pipes and yellow disks than the previous two monsters Shun had used. The symbol, though, was still on the bird's right shoulder.

 _ **Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Rank 6 / 2000 ATK / 3000 DEF**

… _I messed up_ big time _, didn't I?_ Reizo thought as he stared up at the new monster.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh yes, Reizo** _ **did**_ **mess up big time. Wonder how he's gonna get out of this, considering what** _ **Revolution Falcon**_ **can do…**

 **Also, yep. I'm being cruel and saving the rest of the Duel for the** _ **next**_ **chapter. Along with… well. Just read the next chapter's preview.**

 _ **Phew**_ … **keeping track of all of Reizo's cards' ATK and DEF increases and decreases was** _ **exhausting**_ **. But I think it turned out perfectly fine.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Tuner/Effect

Level 4

Effect: If this card is in your Graveyard: You can discard 1 card from your hand; banish this card and 1 non-Tuner "Dark World" monster from your Graveyard, then Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck, whose Level equals the combined Levels of the banished monsters. (This Special Summon is treated as a Synchro Summon.)

ATK: 1000

DEF: 300

 _Balak, Marshal of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Xyz/Effect

Rank 4

2 DARK monsters

Effect: Once per turn, if this card is targeted by a card effect: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; the effect of that card now becomes "Your opponent discards 1 random card." If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon any Xyz Material it had attached, if possible. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect are destroyed during the End Phase of your next turn.

ATK: 2200

DEF: 1600

 _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect

Level 8

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters

Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.

ATK: 2600

DEF: 1800

 _Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 8

2 "Dark World" monsters

Effect: If you control another face-up "Dark World" monster, this card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can target 1 banished "Dark World" monster; add it to your hand, then discard 1 card.

ATK: 3000

DEF: 2100

* * *

 _The Duel between Kurosaki Shun and Akaba Reizo comes to a stunning close. Afterwards, one of Heartland Duel School's teachers approaches Reizo. How could_ this _man be here in Heartland?!_

 _Next time: Standard's Tricks_


	10. Chapter 9: Standard's Tricks

"… _You let him go?"_

…

" _Keeping him here would have changed nothing. I've seen it."_

…

"… _I was lying to him. It was nowhere near ready yet."_

…

" _Hoh? I'm surprised that you'd lie to_ him _."_

…

" _It doesn't matter, he's already long gone. With any luck, he's at least found my brother…"_

…

 **Chapter 9: Standard's Tricks**

… _I messed up_ big time _, didn't I?_ Reizo thought as he stared up at the new monster.

His answer came a moment later when Shun said, "Because I Xyz Summoned _Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon_ this way, I can target one Special Summoned monster you control, destroy it, and inflict half its ATK to you as damage!"

As the green-haired teen pointed at _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_ , Reizo bit his lip. He could save _Amethyss_ from destruction with her own effect, _and_ stop his Life Points from taking such a huge hit in the process. However, he still had no idea what _Revolution Falcon's_ other effects were. If he got rid of _Hallowed Life Barrier_ , he could very well lose. _Which do I choose…?_ He closed his eyes. … _Sometimes sacrifices must be made for victory in the end. Even if_ Amethyss _is my strongest piece…_

The black-haired boy braced himself as the mechanical falcon let off a volley of bombs on his queen. The explosion completely clouded his vision, and he _almost_ coughed as though the holographic projection was real smoke.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 2500 - 3500/2 → 750**

He shot a glare at the falcon—Shun's cards were _ridiculously_ powerful against Special Summoned monsters, and he was definitely at a disadvantage because of that. Still… depending on what he drew on his next turn, it could still be possible to turn the Duel around. "I'll Set one card face-down and end my turn," he decided.

"My turn then, I draw!" Shun drew his card, looked at it for a second, and switched it to his other hand. He didn't need it. "I activate the second effect of _Revolution Falcon_! By detaching an Xyz Material from it, _Revolution Falcon_ can attack all monsters you control this turn!"

Reizo narrowed his eyes. _There has to be more than that, if he attacks_ any _of my monsters, it's suicide._

" _Revolution Falcon's_ final effect: any Special Summoned monsters it battles with lose all their ATK and DEF during the damage step!"

 _Oh. Fun._ Reizo secretly heaved a sigh of relief; if he'd tried attacking last turn, or if he'd chosen to save his monster, he _definitely_ would have lost. But instead…! "I activate my face-down, _Hallowed Life Barrier_! By discarding _Dark Deal_ from my hand, I can protect my Life Points and my monsters for this turn only!"

A thin barrier of blue light surrounded all of Reizo's monsters, causing the mechanical falcon's attacks to do nothing.

Shun frowned for a moment, looking back at the card he'd drawn that turn. His confidence never wavered, though. "I didn't think you had that card," he said. "Then again, many of the cards you use are old."

"I won't argue with that." Reizo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But I've used these cards for so long, they don't feel old to me. They _do_ sometimes throw my opponents off, though."

Shun chuckled. "Well, aside from your unique Summon methods, you haven't shaken _me_. I end my turn. Can you make a comeback despite my monster?"

"I certainly hope so, I can't afford to lose!" He closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer for his next card to be something he could use. "I draw!" In one swift, arcing motion, he pulled the card from his Deck.

 _Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World_.

A genuine smile crossed his face. Bar the card in Shun's hand or some effect in his Graveyard, there was _no_ way he could stop this. He… would _win_. "I activate the effect of my Field Spell once more! I banish _Amethyss_ from my Graveyard and discard _Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World_ to draw a card!"

 _Ambur, Ensign of Dark World_. It didn't make any difference.

"Now then, because _Kahkki_ was discarded by a card effect…" Reizo paused for a moment—he felt so… _right_ , standing in the spotlight like this; a huge contrast to his previous feelings about Duel Monsters—wanting to build suspense. He could practically feel the hushed whispers in the crowd, trying to figure out what he was going to do. And he smiled. "Because it was discarded like this, _Kahkki_ lets me target and destroy a monster you control! Oh, but you only have the one. Not too hard of a choice, then!"

Shun's eyes widened in surprise as purple spikes exploded from the ground, piercing _Revolution Falcon_ in various places. The mechanical bird that had been his only defense shattered into a million different golden shards that vanished within seconds.

"It's checkmate then! _Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World_ attacks you directly!" Reizo declared, a hand outstretched. " _Colorless Chaos Wave_!"

The lordly demon swung its massive broadsword. It seemed to cut the very sky in two, the slice of his sword sending a sonic wave directly at the other Duelist. It struck Shun square across the chest, and the rush of light was enough to knock him backwards.

 **Shun's Life Points: 2300 - 3300 → 0**

The crowd erupted in cheers for both Duelists, the Duel having entertained them all. For once, Reizo looked all around at the smiling faces of the audience, an even bigger smile than theirs on his face. For once, he waved to them all. For once, he crossed over the field to his defeated opponent, and helped him back to his feet. For once… he felt like he _belonged_.

"Good game, Reizo," Shun said as they shook hands. "If you hadn't used that effect, and you'd just attacked with _Lucent_ …" He held up his remaining card—some monster called _Raidraptor - Booster Strix_. "…I would have turned the tables back to my favor."

"That was _easily_ the toughest Duel I've ever had—and won. You're no pushover, Kurosaki-san."

Shun laughed. "Please, you're one of my sister's friends. Just call me Shun."

"Oh, okay."

Then, suddenly, both boys were pulled into headlocks from behind by a girl with dark purple hair and pink eyes. She giggled as she awkwardly held on two both of them. "That Duel was _amazing_!" Ruri exclaimed.

Shun freed himself from her grasp and sighed. "Ruri, how many times do I have to tell you _not_ to do that?"

"Aw, lighten up, nii-san! You're way too serious when you aren't Dueling!"

"I'm 'too serious'?" The teen grinned, a sly thing like he was about to do something. In an instant, he plucked the feather-shaped clip out of his sister's hair, and held it as high as he could—nearly half a foot higher than she could reach.

"Wha—no fair! Give it back!"

"Only if you promise to stop jumping me!"

"No way!"

As Ruri attempted to drag Shun's arm down to her level, Reizo awkwardly shifted his weight.

"This happens sometimes," Yuto said to Reizo. "Shun hates it when Ruri pulls him into a headlock—which she does frequently—so he does that. It's best to let them be."

Reizo stared at the two Kurosakis, expressionless. Reiji had never really _played_ with him—it had always been _lessons, study,_ _Duel_ , _we have to be perfect for the company and especially for Mother._ It was… different seeing these other siblings interact like this.

"Good win, by the way," Yuto said, breaking Reizo out of his thoughts. "There's no _way_ they'll send you back to Heartland Academy. You beat one of their best students."

"I could tell he was that good," Reizo replied, starting to walk back to the stands with Yuto. Shun and Ruri were still fighting over the hair clip. "I nearly lost. …But, winning this Duel doesn't automatically get me into HDS?"

Yuto shook his head. "Not necessarily, the administrators look for how _well_ you Dueled, not necessarily if you _won_. I bet you would've gotten in even if you'd lost, though."

The violet-eyed boy smiled, forgetting about his troubles. "Thanks, Yuto."

" _I_ should be thanking _you_ for such an entertaining Duel, Akaba Reizo," a new voice said—one that made Reizo's blood run cold because he _recognized_ it (how could he _not_ when watching _that_ person Duel was the only truly _fun_ thing he did with his older brother?), he _recognized_ the voice even though it should be _impossible_.

The man standing before him was in red, his pants matching his coat. The coat itself had long coattails, ending with a pattern of black diamonds atop white trim. There was also an orange patch buttoned across his front, trimmed with yellow, that led up to his collar—blue, but lined with the same yellow. A staff made of red wood stuck out of a belt loop on his right side, while a purple top hat with green goggles attached to it rested atop the man's head. His golden-orange eyes sparkled with delight.

"S-Sakaki Yusho?!" Reizo practically screeched, drawing the attention of a few nearby students, who observed the situation quizzically.

Yuto stared at Reizo. It wasn't like him to get so flustered.

Yusho regarded Yuto for a moment, an odd look on his face. But he quickly turned his attention back to the stunned Reizo, dramatically bowing to him. "The one and only. I see you're a fan of mine?"

"But—you—Standard—how—?" With that, Reizo's voice quit working entirely, so he just stood there with his mouth agape at the sight of the most famous Entertainment Duelist in Maiami City.

* * *

Yusho had led Reizo aside, into a nearby empty classroom, away from the prying eyes of the residents of the world neither male should be in. Even Yuto had stayed behind in the arena—he'd made the excuse to watch the next Duel, that was just about to start.

The layout was definitely different from other classrooms he'd been in. There were no desks in the room, only chairs that lined the walls. The front of the classroom held a tinted glass floor, underneath it a machine Reizo recognized—the Action Field generator, that turned the Solid Vision holograms into Real Solid Vision. If he'd tried to think this Yusho was a fake, this was proof it wasn't—the Xyz Dimension didn't have these. The ceiling had even been modified, raised to grant even more room to to Duelists within. Meanwhile, cushions lined the walls around the front.

"I built this system myself," Yusho said, tapping his staff on the glass above the system. "At least here, I can continue the same Entertainment Duels I love. The students here love them too."

 _I can imagine why. But that isn't what matters now._ "How are you here?" Reizo demanded. "I've been stuck here for _months_ , but I ended up here by… by accident." _A very, very crazy accident…_ "There's no proper way to travel between dimensions yet!"

"Hm. No, there isn't," Yusho replied.

"Then how did you—"

"I was too impatient." Yusho sat on one of the chairs, closest to the windows. He stared out it, with the view of bustling streets outside.

And then he told Reizo the story of what he could remember, before he got to Heartland.

* * *

" _I would like you to be that leader!"_

Sakaki Yusho regarded the boy in front of him, hiding his distaste in what he was faced with. Not because of Reiji himself—the young teen had done nothing wrong—but because of the situation he was in. Akaba Reiji had only turned thirteen a month ago, and with that had inherited the corporate empire his father had abandoned over a decade ago. He was _far_ too young to be running a business, _far_ too young to have to hunt down his own little brother in another dimension, _far_ too young to be planning to fight an interdimensional war (and against his own father, no less), _far_ too young for any of this.

And Akaba Himika only stood by and let her eldest son suffer through all of this.

He couldn't say _no_. Not in good conscience. But a war fought with Duel Monsters? It was all kinds of _wrong_. Duel Monsters were supposed to spread _smiles_. It was the very reason he'd worked with Akaba Leo all those years ago to create the first Real Solid Vision System. _Smiles_ , not _fear_. And now that man was using the same system as a weapon.

"I'll help in any way that I can," Yusho said, standing up from the seat he was on.

The boy visibly relaxed, tense shoulders sagging with relief, hints of a smile on his lips. "Thank you. Thank you so much. That's one less thing for me to worry about…" As soon as he'd finished speaking, though, the tense worry returned to his form.

Yusho couldn't very well _leave_ now, not after what he'd seen. "Is there anything else I can help with? You have… a lot on your plate for a thirteen-year-old."

Reiji sat at the desk far too big for him, in a chair that easily dwarfed him, as he began scrolling through the hologram above it that depicted his father's own research. His hand stopped when the display showed information about the Xyz Dimension, and his eyes could not hide his sorrow. "…I don't think so," Reiji replied after a moment of thinking. "Not unless you know how to build a dimensional transporter. Aside from hunting down the strongest Duelists in our world, that's my biggest concern. Work on it is… far slower than I'd like. My father left hardly any of his research behind, and what I've found of it is more or less buried in code that takes weeks to decipher…"

 _Research left behind by Akaba Leo, buried under a tough code. Could it be…?_ "May I see some of what hasn't been deciphered yet?" Yusho asked, a feeling in his gut he hoped was right.

Reiji narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his glasses with two fingers. "You think you could…?"

"You're forgetting that I helped your father build the Real Solid Vision System," the performer replied. "I may be an Entertainment Duelist, but I know my way around technology."

"R-Right…" It seemed the boy _had_ forgotten. Or at least it hadn't crossed his mind.

Reiji flipped back through the holographic screen, until all the information on it was an endless sea of numbers and letters, seemingly in a random order.

 _I was right._ Yusho smiled warmly at the young teen before him. "I know this code, I helped develop it. It looks like Leo changed some of it, but I should be able to decipher it faster than your systems can."

"You'd… really do that?"

"Of course."

The boy steadied himself on the desk, trying to stop himself from trembling. It looked like he was about to break down—Yusho wouldn't blame him if he did—but he had to be strong, so he drew in a deep breath. "I'll have a copy sent to you in the morning. I'm… I'm in your debt, Yusho-sama."

The entertainer left after that, crossing paths with Akaba Himika on his way out. He stopped, grabbing her attention with a stern look. "Himika."

"Yusho," she replied, equally distasteful in the person she was speaking to.

"How can you do this to your own son?"

The woman narrowed her blue eyes, her lips tightened into a frown. "I'll have you know that Reiji-san is _more_ than capable to handle this all himself. In fact, he _asked_ to do so."

"That doesn't make it _right_ ," Yusho retorted. "He's still just a _child_!"

"And so is my _other_ son, lost in a world we know little about. Reiji-san was _there_ when Reizo was ripped away from us—naturally, he's going to do everything in his power to bring him home." Himika folded her arms across her chest. "Are you telling me I should _force_ him to stay out of something that directly relates to him?"

Yusho had no response to that, so he simply bid the woman goodnight and left to return to his own family. He still found the situation _wrong_.

* * *

Within two weeks, Yusho deciphered the rest of the research Leo had left behind. Much of it was superfluous, random observations and thoughts about them, that had nothing to do with traveling across dimensions. However, there was still a good chunk that detailed exactly how a proper transporter could be made—information that was immediately put into practice by Reiji and his team of researchers. Within a month, a prototype had been built: a chamber of glass and metal, with a massive control panel next to the entrance.

Yusho went to the prototype that day with a mission. It was a stupid, _stupid_ idea, but it was certainly worth a shot if it was possible to stop the looming threat of an interdimensional war. If _anyone_ could do talk to Akaba Leo, convince him to stop his foolish plans, it was him. And if it didn't work…

He only hoped his wife and son would forgive him for disappearing without a word.

Reiji was in the facility—like he always was when he wasn't handling the affairs of the Leo Corporation—overseeing the work on the transporter with a small glint of hope in his eyes. Like today would be the day the transporter worked and he could bring his brother home.

Yusho cleared his throat, causing the boy to almost jump in surprise.

"Yusho-sama!" Reiji adjusted his glasses. "I wasn't expecting you today."

"I wasn't planning to come either," the lie burned in his throat, but he hid it because he didn't want anyone to stop him, "but I decided to stop by on the way to my match with Strong Ishijima to see how the transporter was coming along."

Reiji turned back to the machine. "We're in the final testing phases. By the end of this month, we should be able to travel freely back and forth between all four dimensions."

By the end of the month. That wasn't good enough, Leo could start his war any moment now. "That's good news," he said, still masking his intentions.

Yusho moved away after that, in the direction of the control panel, but stopped when Reiji grabbed his arm. Yusho turned his head back to look at the boy—his eyes were hidden by the reflection of his glasses. "…Is something wrong, Reiji?"

The boy dropped his hand, chewing on his lip. "…No, I just… wanted to thank you again. For all your help."

 _So that was it._ Yusho smiled again at the boy. "It's been my pleasure. And because of that… I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."

"Yusho-sama?"

As the entertainer in red forced his way into the transporter, setting it to go off once he got inside, Yusho looked back at the startled researchers that screamed at him because the machine _wasn't ready_ , it hadn't been tested with _humans_ yet, and there was _no way back_ yet.

In the moment before his body faded away, he caught a glimpse of Reiji, still standing where he had been. The boy… did not look surprised in the slightest.

* * *

"…After that, I found myself in Heartland rather than at Academia. I've been stuck here ever since, and decided to make the best of my stay here," Yusho finished.

Reizo pulled out his LDS pin, rubbing it with his thumb. He _hadn't_ been abandoned, his brother had been trying all this time to get over here. Though… if the transporter was almost done, why hadn't anyone else come after him and Yusho?

 _Maybe they don't know where in the Xyz Dimension we are… Heartland itself is a big city, but there's the rest of the world too._ That's what Reizo wanted to believe.

"I… I see," he said quietly.

The two went silent for a good several minutes, until Yusho cleared his throat. "…By the way, that friend of yours from earlier. The one you were heading back to the stands with. What's his name?"

"Yuto. Tenjo Yuto. Why?"

"Yu _to_ …" Yusho mused to himself, emphasizing the second syllable. Fishing through his pockets, he pulled out a picture of a boy—and Reizo gasped upon seeing him.

For a few moments, the boy in the picture looked _exactly_ like Yuto, dressed in green-striped white pajamas. But as Reizo stared at the image, he could see the differences. Spiked-up black-and-purple hair faded away to a flop of green hair with red underneath. Grey eyes morphed into bright red ones, happily staring at the camera as the boy held up some new Duel Monsters.

"This is my son, Yuya," Yusho explained.

"…The resemblance is _uncanny_ ," Reizo muttered. He remembered his first meeting with Ruri—she'd also had a strange resemblance to that girl from Fusion, Selena. Was there a connection, or…? …No, it had to just be a strange coincidence. "They have totally different hair and eye colors, but everything else looks the _exact_ same. Weird."

Yusho stared at the picture of his son for a moment, lost in thought. "…Yes, weird…"

* * *

 **A/N: So, the Duel ended with Reizo's victory, Yusho's made an appearance, and he's already noticed the resemblance between Yuya and Yuto. Good chapter, I'd say.**

… **The flashback was ENTIRELY improvised, by the way. I was going to just have him tell Reizo what happened, then muses decided, "You know what? Let's make it a full flashback. Aaaand while we're at it let's throw in some major foreshadowing." Hence the flashback becoming a thing.**

 **I'll also go ahead and apologize for any typos or things I let slip through this chapter; I typed almost the entirety of this chapter offline** _ **and**_ **on my new smartphone, so not only did I** _ **not**_ **have spellcheck, I** _ **also**_ **had autocorrect trying to "fix" every other word.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please, continue to leave reviews!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect

Level 8

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters

Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.

ATK: 2600

DEF: 1800

 _Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 8

2 "Dark World" monsters

Effect: If you control another face-up "Dark World" monster, this card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can target 1 banished "Dark World" monster; add it to your hand, then discard 1 card.

ATK: 3000

DEF: 2100

 _Ambur, Ensign of Dark World_

[Unknown stats/effects]

* * *

 _Reizo's first day at Heartland Duel School brings him several new friends—friends he will truly miss when he would have to go home. But how long will the peaceful days last, and just who is this "Aria Fiore"?_

 _Next time: Days of Smiles (Calm Before the Storm)_


	11. Chapter 10: Days of Smiles

"… _The newest coordinates for the Xyz Dimension have finally been found. The invasion starts in a month."_

…

" _That's great news! But what of Macfield?"_

…

" _I want you to warn him once it's a week away. He'll be able to prepare himself in that time."_

…

" _Very true, he's not a member of Horakhty White for nothing."_

…

" _Then I leave matters in your hands, Yuri."_

…

" _I won't let you down… Professor."_

…

 **Chapter 10: Days of Smiles (Calm Before the Storm)**

"Hurry up _slowpoke_! We're going to be late on the _first day_!" Ruri called to Reizo, jogging backwards as they went. Her white vest, atop her bright yellow sundress, fluttered in the wind her speed was kicking up around her. It was a different—nicer—look on her than Reizo was used to seeing, he didn't tend to go out on the weekends, so he usually only saw her and Yuto in their Heartland Academy uniforms. But Heartland Duel School didn't _have_ a uniform, just a bit of a dress code.

Reizo couldn't really focus on that, though. Every muscle in his body _burned_ , and he was _fairly_ certain that if he couldn't stop to catch his breath _soon_ , he would pass out. It felt like his heartbeat was in his throat rather than his chest, and his face was beat red. "I," _cough_ "can't," _wheeze_ "go," _another cough_ "faster." _I'm going to die. And it's all this she-devil's fault._

For it had been decided the day before that he, Ruri, and Yuto would all walk to school together for their first day, and it had been _Ruri_ that overslept and then risked the lot of them being late.

"Just one more block, Reizo," Yuto reassured him. "You can go for that much longer, right?"

"…S-Sure…" the violet-eyed boy choked out. He _really_ wasn't sure he could, they'd been running for the past ten minutes or so and his endurance levels had quit after not even three of them.

As soon as they turned into the entrance of Heartland Duel School and found many other students still walking around campus rather than heading to class, Reizo felt the urge to scream at Ruri because they _hadn't needed_ to run all the way from her house… but he was so out of energy from all the running that he just collapsed on his back and _breathed_.

Yuto sat down next to him, cross-legged. Rather than the Heartland Academy uniform, he was dressed in all black, a collared T-shirt with matching pants and boots. He leaned back, resting on his arms, and sighed. "We made it with time to spare…"

"No thanks to my brother," Ruri said angrily. "When I find him, I'm gonna—"

"HEEEEEY GUYS!" a female voice cried from across the courtyard. Reizo slowly pulled himself off the ground to see her—it was Naomi, and he hadn't seen her in over a month. The fifteen-year-old was all smiles, as usual, but aside from the dark blue trench coat she had on over her clothes, she was soaked to the bone. "Just got here, right? Welcome to your first day at HDS!"

Ruri grinned upon seeing her friend, although rather than hug like they usually did, the two just high-fived. "Mimi! …Why are you soaked? And why are you wearing my brother's coat?"

"What, this?" Naomi pulled open the coat a little, flashing her soaked black undershirt and jeans. Then she smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "I… kinda fell in a fountain on my way to school, and Shu-kun let me borrow this rather than making me have to run all the way home to change." She sighed. "I _really_ need to keep a spare change of clothes in my locker…"

"Okay, okay, then he's here, right? Where is he?"

The black-haired girl pointed over her own shoulder. Kurosaki Shun, dressed in jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, leaned against a pillar in the shade of the school building. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were shut.

Ruri immediately stomped right over to him, her cheeks puffed out angrily. "Nii-san, how could you let me oversleep?!"

Without so much as opening one eye, Shun replied, "I tried to wake you. You didn't get up, so I left you alone. It's your own fault for staying up so late last night."

"Well—that's—you should've tried harder to get me up then!" Ruri exclaimed, about ready to hit something.

At this, Shun opened one of his eyes to look at his sister. "…I'm sorry, the last time I 'tried harder', I ended up with a black eye for a week. _Excuse_ me for not wanting to show up on the first day with a black eye—or worse."

Ruri punched her brother's arm—not enough to hurt either of them—and fumed. "That was _one time_! And I promised not to do it again!"

"That's what you said the time before _that_ , too!" Shun retorted, no longer leaning against the pillar. "Does it even matter? You guys don't have to be in the auditorium for another fifteen minutes."

"That's not—ugh! Why do boys have to be so _pigheaded_?!" Ruri threw up her arms in defeat, skulking away into the school. Naomi laughed a good bit, and hurried to catch up to her friend, waving at Shun as she went. The green-haired teen waved back, and headed inside.

"…I guess we should head inside too," Yuto said, standing up and brushing grass off his pants. "Need help getting up?"

"I'm fine now," Reizo grumbled. His legs still felt like jelly, and his head throbbed, but at least he could breathe now. "No thanks to either Kurosaki…"

"I wouldn't blame Shun, he wasn't kidding about her giving him a black eye."

"He still could've told us she wasn't getting up…"

"…Maybe, but even if we'd known, we still promised to walk here together. Knowing wouldn't have made a difference."

* * *

The orientation for HDS' new students lasted less than an hour, most of it just going over school regulations and introducing some of the staff. It was after that when the students learned what branch they had been assigned to, and what their schedule would be like. Each student would receive a small electronic tablet, key in their name, and everything they needed would be there.

 _Clover Branch._ That was what Reizo's tablet displayed, along with the clubs symbol from a regular deck of cards.

 _Spade Branch_ , along with its respective symbol. That was what both Ruri's and Yuto's tablets displayed.

 _Just my luck, I fought to get in here early specifically to stay with my friends, and I get stuck in a completely different branch,_ Reizo thought disdainfully. He rubbed the side of his head; the throbbing headache from running so much hadn't gone away yet, and this just made it worse.

"…Um… let's look on the bright side!" Ruri exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Clover Branch is where Dennis and Mimi are, so you won't be _all_ alone!"

"And it's not like you'll _never_ see us…" Yuto added.

"Yeah, but…" The violet-eyed boy sighed. Everyone was being motioned to leave the auditorium with the upperclassmen from their branch. "…See you guys during lunch."

"Yeah! See you!"

* * *

 **Naomi's Life Points: 1300. Reizo's Life Points: 1800.**

" _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_! Attack Naomi directly!" Reizo shouted.

As it turned out, his second class of the day was with none other than Sakaki Yusho. The born entertainer wasted no time in showing off his Real Solid Vision System to the other new students in his class, and had (supposedly at random) chosen Naomi and Reizo to demonstrate it. They'd been fighting in the Action Field _Madolche Chateau_ for the past twenty minutes—a huge disadvantage for Reizo because Naomi actually _used_ "Madolche" cards. But unlike Naomi, he'd been _raised_ participating in Action Duels—and while he couldn't run worth anything, he _was_ good at finding Action Cards.

…But Naomi was as good at it too, considering it was basically her home field. She jumped up onto the windowsill of a giant graham cracker house, snatching an Action Card from underneath the roof. She slipped the card into her Duel Disk, backflipping off the sill with a smile. "I activate the Action Spell _Evasion_! This negates your monster's attack!"

The demonic dragon's flames were starting to be redirected towards the graham cracker house.

Reizo _really_ wanted the Duel to end now, so he jumped into a lake of chocolate syrup— _goodness_ had he forgotten how _real_ Action Fields felt—and snagged something before he surfaced. He looked at it, grinned upon seeing it was useful, and declared, "I cancel out your Action Card with my own Action Spell, _No Action_! You can't get out of this checkmate, Naomi!"

Naomi's golden eyes widened as the shadowy flames came back towards her. She shielded her face and screamed as the rest of her Life Points faded away.

 **Naomi's Life Points: 1300 - 2700 → 0**

As the Action Field dissipated, Reizo bowed to his fellow students, a smile on his face. Then he crossed over to the black-haired girl and helped her to her feet. He noticed that she looked really pale, though… and that she practically stumbled over to her chair. But she said she was fine…

Reizo went back to his seat too, messing with his LDS pin that he'd stuck on under his collar. He wondered what his mother would have thought about the Duel—probably that he'd made far too much of a show out of it—but then he shook head slightly to get rid of those thoughts. He wasn't Akaba Reizo the second prodigy of Leo Duel School here, he was just another student. And he actually liked the idea of Entertainment Duels…

The lilac-haired girl in the seat next to him adjusted her glasses. "Th-That was a good Duel…" she said quietly. "That didn't look like your first Action Duel at all…"

 _It wasn't_. But Reizo held his tongue, instead thanking her. He was pretty sure her name was Sayoko? Sayaka? Something like that. Both names were familiar… and then he saw the boy on her other side—the red-haired boy that had lost to Dennis the first time Reizo went to one of his shows. … _Sayaka,_ he decided, _she's Sayaka. She was with Allen that day._

He zoned out for the rest of class. His head still hurt, and he wasn't sure why at this point.

* * *

When he got to the massive cafeteria within the school, he had no idea where any of his friends were. Dennis and Naomi had both run off as soon as the lunch bell rang, and he couldn't spot Yuto or Ruri or any of the others anywhere—which was strange, since Yuto's hair easily stuck out in crowds.

In the end, he ended up settling for eating with the only people in the cafeteria he recognized.

"…Mind if I sit with you?"

Both Sayaka and Allen looked up at him.

Allen shrugged. "I don't mind."

"You can sit with us…" Sayaka replied quietly.

"Thanks." He sat down, nibbling at the rice on his plate. Truth be told, he wasn't that hungry. He'd just been hoping to see Yuto and Ruri during lunch…

After a few minutes of quiet, Allen started tapping the table in front of Reizo to get his attention. When that didn't work, he said, "…Oi, Akaba."

Reizo jerked awake—he couldn't even remember dozing off—dropping the chunk of rice he had in his chopsticks in the process. "Huh?" He coughed, composing himself. "…Sorry, what do you need?"

"Those different Summon Methods you have…"

Reizo stiffened; he wasn't ready to tell _anyone_ else they'd come from a different world.

"…could you teach me how to do them?" Allen asked, and he looked about ready to beg for it.

… _Okay not what I was expecting_. Reizo relaxed his shoulders, and pulled out his Deck. He laid out _Oppal_ , _Beiige_ , and _Amethyss_ in one row, and _Goldd_ , _Reign-Beaux_ , _Polymerization_ , and _Colorless_ in another. "I don't see why not, but you'll have to get the cards yourself, and they're _extremely_ rare."

"I don't care, this is _just_ the upper hand I need against _him_ …"

Sayaka rested a hand on Allen's shoulder, getting him to calm down.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the roof of the school…

Five students from HDS sat around a small white table that'd had its legs broken off so that they didn't need chairs to sit at it and eat. The three older students had been coming up here for lunch as long as they'd been coming to HDS, and the two younger ones had been brought up there by Shun. But they were missing someone…

"…It isn't like Reizo to be this late," Yuto noted between mouthfuls.

"Yeah— _mmph_ —wonder where— _munch_ —he is."

Shun smacked the back of his sister's head. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Ruri."

She forcibly swallowed, chugged down some of her water to get it all the way down, and glared at her older brother. "…You're a jerk, nii-san."

"Yeah! You shouldn't hit your little sister, Shu-kun!" Naomi added, poking the green-haired teen's arm.

He swatted her hand away, then stared at her. "…Looks like you've finally dried up, can I have my coat back?"

Naomi jerked away, hugging her arms tightly over her chest. "Nu-uh! I don't have _my_ jacket on me! Uh… uh… Ruri, you should listen to your brother!"

Ruri slammed her hands on the table, her glare now directed at the older girl. "Whose side are you on, traitor?!"

The two squabbled for a few minutes, Shun occasionally poking into the argument because he was sitting between them. Yuto just watched, sweatdropping while he silently ate his food. Dennis was fiddling with a deck of playing cards until he suddenly snapped his fingers. " _My God_!" he cried out.

All four sets of eyes turned to the redhead. Naomi and Shun were at least used to his more flamboyant exclamations, but he usually had something important to say after he got their attention with that.

"…Naomi-chan, you didn't tell Reizo we eat up here instead of in the cafeteria, did you?"

The golden-eyed girl cockedher head to the side. "I thought you did…?"

Dennis slapped himself in the face, dragging his hand down in an excessive facepalm. "And I thought _you_ did. He's probably down in the cafeteria right now, wondering where we are."

"…You're both idiots," Shun grumbled.

"That's not _nice_ ," Naomi whined back.

"It's kinda true though…" Ruri stood up, adjusting the bottom of her dress. "I'll go get Reizo, you guys behave 'till I get back, okay?"

Dennis immediately stopped her as she passed him, grabbing her wrist. "Ruri-ch—" A fearful glance at Shun, whose expression had darkened the moment the redhead had grabbed Ruri's arm, led Dennis to let go of her. He continued, "Ruri, it's my fault Reizo's not here, _I'll_ go get him."

"It's fine, I'm already up anyways. Be back in a few~!"

As soon as she slipped out of sight, Dennis coughed to break the silence. He still had his playing cards out, and he held them up with a crooked grin on his face. "…Anyone wanna see a magic trick?"

Naomi perked up at that. "Ooh, sure! I've never seen one in person before!"

"I don't see why not," Yuto said.

"Hmph. Suit yourselves," Shun grumbled.

Dennis 'tsk'ed at Shun's attitude, but proceeded to lay out all the cards face-up. "You can all see that each card is different…" In a fluid motion, he flipped them all over. The design on the back of each was the same. "…And you can see they're all from the same deck, as they should be. Oh, and I'm not short a card or anything, all 52 of them are there."

He pulled them back into a stack and shuffled them for a few moments. Then he held out the deck. "…Pick a card, Shun."

The green-haired teen didn't budge. "I want no part of this."

"C'mon, don't be a letdown. Just pick a card!" Dennis held the cards closer to Shun.

Shun scowled, and pulled a card out of the deck. He looked at it, then held it back out. "There, I picked a card. Happy now?"

"Hold onto it for just a second." And with that, Dennis took off his lone glove, his one-sleeved orange jacket, and rolled up the sleeves on the blue dress shirt he had on underneath. He took the card back from Shun, smiling as he started to shuffle the cards. "…Have to make sure you won't accuse me of hiding a card in my sleeves first…"

* * *

"…And that's how you Fusion Summon," Reizo finished, returning the cards to his Deck and Extra Deck. Most of lunch had passed, and still no sign of his friends. He'd have to hunt for them during the free period right after lunch finished. At the very least, teaching Allen (and Sayaka) how to Fusion and Synchro Summon distracted him from his headache.

Allen grinned. " _Sweet_. As soon as I get my hands on some cards, Dennis won't know what hit him…"

 _Good luck with getting the cards… although…_ "You mean Dennis Macfield, right?"

The other boy practically _growled_ at the mention of Dennis. "Of _course_ I do! The clown thinks he's some great Duelist, showing off in front of all those crowds. He has to lose _sometime_!"

… _So that's why Allen was Dueling Dennis that day,_ Reizo realized. _He wants to beat Dennis just like I want to beat Yuto._ "I can see wh—"

" _There_ you are!" Ruri's voice suddenly carried over the cafeteria. She wormed her way through the tables to Reizo's side.

"There _I_ am? _You're_ the one that left me behind," Reizo retorted, an eyebrow raised at his friend. "Where'd you guys go?"

The violet-haired girl sighed. "Mimi and Dennis forgot to tell you that we eat on the roof, and we stay there during free period, at least on days when it isn't raining or too cold."

 _Leave it to them to forget about me. Just my luck…_ Reizo forced a smile though; it was just a mistake. "I see. Thanks for coming all the way to get me, Ruri."

"Aw, I couldn't leave one of my best friends all alone on the first day of school," she replied.

Reizo looked over at Allen and Sayaka. "I… wasn't all alone, these two kept me company."

"R-Right!" Ruri looked at the other two kids, still smiling. "Sorry. Um, you can come up to the roof too if you'd like. It's not some exclusive club."

"…Dennis is there, right?" Allen asked.

"Well… yes…?"

"Then I'm coming," he said, grabbing his backpack. "He better have his Deck on him…"

Ruri sweatdropped, hoping Dennis would forgive her for inviting this boy up to the roof.

* * *

Dennis had other things on his mind than a boy that wanted to beat him in a Duel coming his way. He looked utterly flustered as he flipped through his cards. He'd laid them all out on the table after he'd pulled three wrong cards in a row that was supposed to be the one Shun picked.

"This was a waste of time," Shun said, his eyebrows twitching.

"…The ace of hearts is missing," Dennis said in surprise. "That's the card you picked, right? You _did_ give it back to me?"

"Of _course_ I did," Shun said angrily.

Dennis scratched his head, looking around. "Then where could it have gone…?"

As he was looking around, Ruri came back up with Reizo, Allen, and Sayaka in tow.

Dennis brightened upon seeing her. "Oh, perfect timing, Ruri." He jumped up, walking over to her. "You haven't happened to see an ace of hearts anywhere, have you?" He stopped for a second and waved at the other three. "…Oh, hi you guys."

 _What does he need an ace of hearts for…?_ Reizo wondered.

"I haven't seen one, sorry," Ruri said.

Dennis' grin widened. "Of course _you_ couldn't see it, unless you looked in a mirror." Then he reached behind her hair clip and plucked out the very card he was looking for from her hair.

Ruri's hand flew to her hair, her eyes wide. "When did you—?"

Naomi laughed, clapping extremely loudly. "No _way_! That was so cool!"

Meanwhile Shun had paled, staring at the magician as he bowed. "But you—Ruri had already left— _how_?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets~!"

* * *

The rest of the school day dragged on for what felt like eternity because the headache he'd had all day just kept getting worse. He hoped Chris wouldn't mind it if he just went to bed when he got home… maybe he just needed some more sleep, and that would get rid of the headache.

Ruri ran up beside him, slinging an arm over his shoulder—Yuto was right about her liking to do that—and that _really_ didn't help his headache at all. "So, how was your first day?" She stopped, dropping her arm when she noticed him grimace. "…Are you okay?"

"Headache," he replied quietly, rubbing his eyes. The ache had spread to them at the start of the last class. "Had it almost all day."

"…Oh. Why didn't you say something? If you're sick, you shouldn't be here…"

"I'm not _sick_ , I just have a—"

"W-WAH! LOOK OUT BELOW!" someone screamed.

Reizo turned in time to see someone with long, light-pink hair falling off a ladder that he and Ruri had just walked past… in his direction. He had no time to move out of the way—like he'd be able to properly catch someone that was taller than him—so he found himself slammed onto the floor, underneath the weight of the girl who'd fallen.

He saw black for a good few moments, the throbbing in his head the only thing that let him know he was still conscious.

Then the weight on top of him moved, and someone pulled him up into a sitting position. He groaned; _just_ his luck to have someone slam his head on the ground when he _already_ had a massive headache. He rubbed the sides of his head for the umpteenth time that day.

"O-OhmygoshI'msosorryIfellonyouareyouokay?" the pink-haired girl rapidly spoke, and when Reizo managed to open his eyes, he found the girl was holding his arms tightly, her face about three inches from his.

He blushed furiously and muttered, "I-I'm fine…"

The girl released him and backed up. "Thank goodness…"

"Hey—you should've been more careful on that ladder," Ruri butted in, glaring at the older girl.

She looked away, messing with the white cloth of her dress. "I-I'm sorry… My name is Aria Fiore, is there anything I can do to make it up for you?"

"Just—hng!"

The building crescendo of a headache he'd had all day finally topped off, electricity burning fervently behind his eyes and around his skull. All because of _this girl_ , this chance meeting. For the girl with light-pink hair had lavender eyes, and something deep inside his mind _recognized_ those eyes and that hair and her _face_ , he knew her _face_.

 _(Euphemia li Britannia. Euphy. One of the few of my half-siblings I actually cared about.)_

 _(And I killed her. I stained her hands with the blood of the very people she wanted to help, and then I killed my dear Euphy.)_

"—zo! Reizo!" Ruri's voice called.

His eyes snapped open… and the headache he'd had all day was finally _gone_. Like it hadn't been there in the first place. "I—what?"

"You're alright…" Ruri sighed in relief. "You suddenly started screaming in pain…"

"It's my fault, isn't it?" Aria was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

He shuddered when he got a good look at her, because all he could picture was Aria—several years older—standing in a torn and bloody white dress amidst a field of bodies, a twisted smile on her face, and a red glint in her eyes, and that _wasn't_ right because he _wasn't_ Lelouch and this Aria _wasn't_ his half-sister—wasn't related to him in the slightest.

"…It's… alright. I'm fine now," Reizo said, even though he wasn't sure he was.

* * *

 **A/N: …Gosh darn it I can't write a completely fluffy happy chapter for the life of me. But Aria needed to be introduced, and my muses settled on** _ **that**_ **considering Reizo's reactions to the other Code Geass characters he's met.**

 **Next chapter though.**

 **Heehee…**

 **On an actual sillier note, I feel Lelouch/Reizo on a personal level when it comes to running and exercise, thanks to my asthma. That's where inspiration for the first scene came from.**

 **Thanks for reading this, and I hope you leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _It started as a normal, albeit rainy, day at school. Everything changes at noon, when mechanical creatures begin tearing apart the walls, and people all around are turned into cards. And Naomi has…?_

 _Next time: The Fall of Heartland_


	12. Chapter 11: The Fall of Heartland

" _Ah, Yuto? Are you looking for Ruri-chan? She's already gone home…"  
_ … _  
_" _Oh, I'm not Yuto. Fine day for a hunting game, isn't it, Dennis?"  
_ … _  
_"… _? Oh, finally. Please tell me you bear good news, Yuri? I'm getting tired of being cooped up here with that_ idiot…" _  
_… _  
_" _The invasion is going to start a week from today at noon. You'll have to keep up that other persona for a little while longer… but you'll be by the target's side, and when opportunity arises, lead her away from the other residents of this dimension. Particularly that one you called Yuto…"  
_ … _  
_" _That shouldn't be a problem, the idiot is HOPELESSLY enamored with her. The Professor really was thorough with his power… I'll have to ask him about it when I get back to Fusion."  
_ … _  
_" _Heh, good luck with that. I hope to see you again soon, friend."  
_ … _  
_"… _? That's odd… I could have sworn I just saw Yuto…"_

 **Chapter 11: The Fall of Heartland**

The day started off overcast, and by the middle of the morning, it had started raining. So instead of eating on the roof like they usually did, Reizo and his group of friends had staked claim on a round table that seated eight— _roughly_ , anyways.

Naomi was taking up half the space on the table because she'd flopped over immediately after sitting down, burying her head in her arms. She made no effort to sit up, despite Shun threatening to use her back as a table—which he actually did.

"…Mimi, are you okay?" Ruri asked, a full five minutes after everyone sat down. They'd been eating in silence until the violet-haired girl spoke.

The black-haired fifteen-year-old grumbled something in response, whatever it was muffled by her elbows.

Shun moved his tray to the actual table, rolling his eyes while he did so. "Naomi, we don't speak elbow. You're gonna have to sit up."

Naomi grunted, then lifted her head a little. "I said I don't like rain." After plopping her head back down—though to the side, so she could still be heard, she added, "It brings back some really bad memories."

"O-Oh. Um… sorry I asked," Ruri muttered, turning her attention back to her food.

The unsettled atmosphere grew darker around the normally talkative group. Even Dennis, who _always_ tried to make people smile when they were down, was fidgeting in his seat. His skin was clammy, and he kept glancing up at the clock on the wall.

Reizo gently elbowed the redhead to get his attention—and scooted back in surprise when Dennis gave a startled yelp in response. "W-Whoa, I just wanted to know if you're alright! You look like you're about to be sick…" Reizo said, hands raised innocently.

Dennis blinked, covering his face with his hand. "…I'm fine… I just… I don't know why, and I don't know _what_ , but I feel like something _really_ bad is going to happen at noon today." He looked pained. "Stupid, right? I think my brain might just be messing with me…"

"I-I'm sure that's it," Ruri agreed, smiling awkwardly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The clock read _11:58_.

Reizo rubbed his left eye; it was starting to burn a little, but he was sure it was because he hadn't blinked for a good few minutes. Something was definitely _off_ though—with Dennis as unsettled as he was and Naomi moping around and Allen not constantly challenging Dennis like he usually did, it was _way_ too quiet at their table.

…Until Naomi suddenly jerked up to a proper seated position, her arm flinging what remained on Shun's tray onto the floor. "They're coming _now_?!" she exclaimed to no one. "But you said they shouldn't until _tomorrow_!"

"Hey—Naomi!" Shun shouted, disdainfully looking at the food he wouldn't get to eat now.

"…No, I was gonna tell them after school today," The black-haired girl continued talking to herself, twirling the strands of yellow on the left side of her face around her index finger. She looked downcast.

Ruri stared at the older girl, an eyebrow raised. "…Um… who are you talking to, Mimi?"

Naomi just waved a hand dismissively, like she couldn't be bothered right now. "Okay… I can do that, onee-sama. …What about my other friends?"

" _Onee-sama"? I thought Naomi called her sister "nee-chan"… What's going on?_ Reizo wondered, still holding his eye. It hadn't quit burning yet.

Yuto tried getting her attention next. "Mimi, what's—"

"I have to _WHAT_?!" she screeched, slamming her hands on the table. Instead of looking downcast, she now looked _pissed_ , her golden eyes filled with rage. "No way, onee-sama! You can't tell me to abandon my friends!"

Other students in the cafeteria were starting to stare at the girl who was screaming at herself—for her friends were all backing away from her, worried about her but _really_ confused about what was going on, and she wasn't talking to anyone over the phone. What was making her panic like this…?

"…No, _you_ listen to _me_! I know you don't like that I made friends in this dimension, but there is _no way_ I am leaving half of them behind when this world goes to hell _just_ to please you! I'm _going_ to protect _all of them_ and that's _final_!" Naomi screamed, red in the face. Immediately she moved her hands behind her neck, and unclasped the necklace she _always_ wore. Holding it out, she said, "Shun, hold onto this for me."

He made no effort to take the crescent-shaped silver piece from her. "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Meanwhile, Reizo added in what confused _him_ the most. "You know about the other dimensions?!"

She grabbed Shun's arm and forced the necklace into his hand. "I'm sorry, there's not enough time right now for me to explain, this place is about to become a war zone. But… I _swear_ I won't let anything happen to you guys." Looking over at Reizo, a grim look on her face, she added, "I do… I'm so sorry for keeping secrets from you…"

"Wait, what do you mean by ' _dimensions_ '?" Allen butted in, utterly confused.

"A _war zone_ …?" Dennis muttered, eyes twisted shut.

Naomi did not respond. Instead, a silver-colored Duel Disk materialized on her wrist—just _appeared_ out of nowhere. It wasn't a model anyone was familiar with, the entire thing a circle aside from the Monster Card Zone—again an unfamiliar design, since it was a curved bar of black, highlighted with white, both ends of the bar straight. It was as much an oddball as Reizo's Duel Disk in this dimension.

"Please, don't fail me now…" Naomi muttered, a card in her hand. "I activate the Trap _Hallowed Life Barrier_!"

Instantly, a dome of blue light surrounded their table, separating the eight of them from the rest of the world—and not a moment too soon.

The clock read _12:00_.

Sayaka put a hand to the barrier—and immediately withdrew it with a shiver. "That's… _real_ , but there's no Action Field… How…?" Her question would go unanswered.

An explosion resonated from the opposite side of the cafeteria, quickly followed by terrorized screams as students ran for cover. Despite being inside a barrier she'd just noted was _real_ , Sayaka fainted, caught before she hit the ground by Allen. Ruri also found herself in her brother's arms—but she hadn't fainted, Shun had immediately dived to protect her from _whatever_ it was that caused the explosion. Yuto had stumbled back upon the noise, and so had Reizo. Dennis was the only one that stayed in place, pale as a ghost, trying to see what was happening.

The entire lower half of the wall by the main entrance was just _gone_ , the dust from its destruction spreading up and around. A group of ten people walked through the debris, all clad in the same pristine blue uniform, the upper halves of their face hidden behind a pale blue mask. Each one had on a strange-looking Duel Disk, the metal part shaped like a shield, and the Monster Card Zone like a sword highlighted in blue.

Reizo paled, his eyes throbbing. _Obelisk Force. My father's army from the Fusion Dimension. He's attacking now? Doesn't he know I'm here—or does he just not care?_

Six single-headed mechanical hounds crawled in with the ten in blue. Three twin-headed dogs that were even larger sauntered in behind them, followed by a lone three-headed beast that rounded up the pack.

One of the people clad in blue stepped forward. The gem set in the center of his mask was a clearish white. He smiled cruelly and declared above the silence the terrified students provided… "Shall we begin the hunting game?"

In an instant the screams of terror returned, as young teenagers ran for their lives away from the intruders. But running would do them no good—the mechanical dogs, despite looking ancient, were much quicker than them all. They pounced on those at the back of the fleeing herd… and then in a flash of violet light, the student would be gone and a _card_ would take their place.

Reizo dropped to the ground, visions of bipedal robots tearing through villages, slaughtering everyone in sight, dancing before his eyes.

 _(Nunnally, where's Nunnally, she has to be okay.)_

He flushed out the thought of the sister he did not have and tried to rid his mind of the fields riddled with the bodies of the Japanese.

Ruri fell to her knees, both hands covering her mouth. "Wh-What are they…?"

" _My God_ … they're turning everyone into _cards_!" Dennis said, equally horrified.

"But how…?" Yuto asked, eyes glued to the horrifying violet light. "We—We have to stop them!"

"Those are Duel Monsters… so there has to be a way to fight back!" Shun pulled his Duel Disk out from beneath his trench coat,readying it on his wrist.

"No—don't!" Naomi cried, though she didn't move. "Please, you're safe in here. If you join their game, I can't protect you!"

He shot her a glare. "Are you telling me I should _sit by_ and _let_ those bastards turn everyone into cards?!"

The black-haired girl recoiled, her barrier fizzling away for a split second before reforming even stronger than before. A tear rolled down her cheek as she said, "Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I can't protect _everyone_ , but I can at least—"

He cut her off. "If _you_ won't help them, _I_ will."

His Duel Disk turned on, he drew a starting hand, plus an extra card while a mechanical voice said, " _New player joining. Turn prioritized."_

 **Shun's Life Points: 4000**

That was enough to draw the attention of the three closest to Shun. The other seven, forced to halt their attacks because their Duel Disks would not let them act out of turn, drew around to them as well, all ten of them and their monsters circling the thin barrier like hawks.

"Someone wants to fight back?" a member with a green stone in his mask asked.

"Fun, I was getting tired of the one-sided slaughter," one with an orange stone added.

"But where's that barrier coming from…?" a girl's voice sounded, her mask having a purple stone in it.

"Doesn't matter, they'll all be cards soon enough," said the one with a clear stone.

Shun glared at all of them. "You won't be turning _anyone else_ into cards, you bastards! I Summon _Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius_!"

On the opposite side of the barrier appeared a small mechanical bird. Its body was a dark blue, with mirrored red "Rs" on its chest, but its wings, chest, and head were green. Rather than feathers, the bird had exhaust pipes sticking out of its wings.

 _ **Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 4 / 1300 ATK / 1600 DEF**

"On the turn I Summon one _Vanishing Lanius_ , I can Special Summon another from my hand! I'll Special Summon a second from my hand, and with the effect of the second one, I Special Summon a third as well!" Shun declared.

Two more of the same bird appeared on his field, and half the Obelisk Force members started laughing at them.

Blue stone smiled. "He's got monsters with the same Level…!"

"Xyz scum, always the same strategy." Yellow stone was doubled over, laughing so hard.

Reizo tightened his hands into fists.

 _(They're as racist as the Britannians.)_

For once, he didn't argue with the thought that wasn't his.

"I Overlay my three Level 4 monsters! _Obscured falcon! Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!_ " Shun chanted.

A rainbow-colored galaxy appeared before everyone, absorbing all three _Vanishing Lanius_. When it exploded, out flew a larger bird with two sets of blue wings. The lower set was smaller, but exhaust pipes still stuck out as feathers. Its head and neck were green, with the mirrored "Rs" on its neck.

 _ **Raidraptor - Rise Falcon**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Rank 4 / 100 ATK / 2000 DEF**

Before the dark-green-haired Duelist could continue, the Obelisk Force member with the purple stone in her mask threw out her arm. "When my opponent Summons a monster, _Ancient Gear Double Bite Hound Dog_ can place one Gear Acid Counter on it!"

The twin-headed mechanical beast behind her lept forward, sinking its teeth into the falcon's left wing. When it retreated, an ancient gear dripping with acid remained in the falcon's wing.

"Hmph, so what? _Rise Falcon's_ effect activates! By detaching an Xyz Material from it, _Rise Falcon_ gains the combined ATK of all Special Summoned monsters you control!"

After absorbing one of the three lights circling it, _Rise Falcon_ burst into bright orange flames as it drew in power from the four Fusion Monsters on the field. The one-headed hounds had only been Normal Summoned. None of the Obelisk Force looked worried about that, though…

 _ **Raidraptor - Rise Falcon**_ **: 100 + (1400 × 3) + 1800 → 6100 ATK**

"Battle! _Raidraptor - Rise Falcon_ can attack all Special Summoned monsters once each, so it attacks those three _Double Bite Hound Dogs_ and the three-headed one, too!"

"Haha, scum, you just walked into our trap!" Purple stone laughed. "A monster with a Gear Acid Counter on it gets destroyed _immediately_ once it battles!"

"Wh-What?!"

The acidic gear lodged in the falcon's wing exploded, tearing apart _Rise Falcon_ almost instantly. The flames from the explosion stopped at the edge of Naomi's barrier… but it didn't stop Shun from dropping to his knees.

"N-Nii-san!" Ruri cried, grabbing hold of his arm.

The three cards in his hand fell to the ground. _Raidraptor - Rig_ , _Dimension Xyz_ , and _Raidraptor - Wild Vulture_. "That was the only thing I could…"

"You should've _listened_ to me, Shun!" Naomi sobbed, holding her right arm tightly. "I _told_ you not to fight… my barrier can't stop them f-from turning you into a card if you lose to them…"

For several moments, no one said a word. Ruri started crying, realizing that she was going to lose her brother once he ended his turn. Reizo cursed his own weakness—if he just had his Duel Disk on him, he would help _somehow_. Yuto… was oddly quieter than normal, a strange glint in his eyes as he balled his hands into fists, but he didn't _do_ anything. It was _Dennis_ that pulled out his Duel Disk and stepped forward, ready to fight.

…But it wouldn't be necessary.

A voice from nowhere echoed, "I release my _Knightmare Frame - Guren Flight-Enabled Version_ in order to Special Summon my _Knightmare Frame - Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements_!"

A blur of red barreled through the ceiling, knocking loose tiles and support beams that fell on those beneath them. The Obelisk Force recoiled, using their monsters to stop the debris from landing on them, while Naomi strengthened her barrier, the beams sliding right off the dome of energy. All other students had already fled or been carded.

When the dust cleared, everyone could see a massive, humanoid mech knelt down in the crater it made while landing. It righted itself, revealing it was crafted mostly from red metal. Around its chest, the mech was orange instead, the back of the orange raised even above the mech's head. The mech held a sword the length of its forearm in its left hand, while its right arm was grey with elongated yellow fingers.

 _ **Knightmare Frame - Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements**_ **: FIRE Machine-Type / Level 9 / 3400 ATK / 3200 DEF**

Reizo screamed, gripping the sides of his head tightly.

 _(The young woman with spiky magenta hair pulled away from him, her hands dropping from his cheeks to her sides. She turned away from him then, walking up the stairs in Ashford Academy. "Goodbye, Lelouch.")_

"—zo! Are you okay?!" the worried voice of Dennis cut into his head.

The black-haired boy lowered his hands; his head wasn't hurting anymore, but looking at the mech that had appeared from the sky did nothing but bring to mind that _girl_ and he couldn't know her but he couldn't look away.

"When Special Summoned, _Guren S.E.I.T.E.N_. destroys all monsters you control and inflicts damage to you equal to the combined ATK of the destroyed monsters!" the voice from nowhere continued.

It was at this moment that the Obelisk Force members started cowering in fear. None of them had face-down cards—they hadn't been expecting resistance—and could do nothing as a result of their cockiness.

The red mech's wings shimmered to life, four diamonds of pink dropping from each blade on its back. The mech then _charged_ , so fast all anyone could see was a magenta blur that zigzagged between all of the monsters. A moment later, it was back in its original position… and all ten mechanical hounds exploded simultaneously.

When the dust cleared, the Obelisk Force was gone, along with the red mech. Naomi collapsed, her barrier fading away, and she gasped for breath. "Thank… goodness…"

Sayaka, who'd regained consciousness while the _Guren_ was tearing apart the monsters, sat up and wondered, "They're really gone…?"

Shun said nothing, but turned off his Duel Disk, the blade disappearing. If it hadn't been for the stranger—wherever they were—he would have been turned into a card. Just like the students he couldn't help.

Yuto's hands loosened, the glint in his eyes gone. He looked around, a look of confusion on his face. "Where did they…?"

"They fled back to the Fusion Dimension," the voice from nowhere said… except it wasn't from nowhere anymore. A man was walking towards them across the rubble, clad in a black cloak long enough to hide everything else about him from them… aside from his face, for he had the hood pulled down. A strange tattoo marked his forehead, half-hidden by his curly brown hair, a mark of red that looked almost like a bird about to take off. His eyes were green, and looked as though they carried the weight of the world with them.

Reizo kicked his way back, scooting along the ground until he backed into the table and couldn't go any farther. "No no no, you can't be here, you can't, I—"

"Lelouch—or, Reizo, you prefer that don't you?" The man stepped forward, a hand stretched out from under his cloak. There was a card in it, some sort of Fusion Monster. "I came here to help, you just have to—"

" _STAY AWAY FROM ME_!" the violet-eyed boy screamed, hands over his eyes again. They were _blazing_ with pain. "I'm _not_ Lelouch, you and that witch need to _leave me alone_!"

The man recoiled, withdrawing the card he held back under his cloak. "But… Reizo—"

"I don't know _you_ , stop talking like _you_ know _me_!" he hissed through his teeth. The faster the man went away, the faster his headache would, and the faster they could focus on surviving.

Shun stepped in, a hand in front of Reizo protectively. "Hey, I don't know who you are, and Reizo says he doesn't either. Thanks for saving us, but you need to leave. _Now_."

The man took one last look at Reizo, then smiled sadly as he turned away. "I understand… goodbye, then. And Reizo… _you have to live_."

With that the man vanished with not even a flash of light or a sound, and even though he was gone, Reizo's head still pounded.

 _("Live!")_

* * *

They couldn't stay in the cafeteria in the midst of all the destruction, but they couldn't go anywhere when Shun and Dennis were the only ones that could really fight back. So they ran through the school, stopping by everyone's lockers to get their Duel Disks—everyone's except Ruri's, for her locker had been destroyed by a different battle in the school. The carded forms of several teachers scattered across the hallway told the outcome of that battle…

"Naomi, when are you gonna tell us what's going on?" Yuto asked as they ran past the destruction.

She faltered in her steps for a moment, then regained her pace. "Soon. We need to get somewhere _safe_ first."

"But _where_ —?"

"Look at that, our prey came right to us!"

Three Obelisk Force members blocked the hallway in front of them, grinning madly at them.

Shun pulled his sister behind him, though all of them backed away because they'd decided that they would run before they would fight.

All except for Naomi. The golden-eyed girl stood rigid in the hallway, eyes wide, her lips trembling. All color had been drained from her face; coupled with her black hair, she looked like a terrified ghost more than a person.

"…I'm… I'm not…" Naomi whispered, her body starting to tremble. Her hair moved as though caught by a breeze. "S-Stay away from me!"

One of the soldiers stopped, cocking a twisted grin. "Aw, you didn't say the magic word. How are we supposed to listen to you if you aren't nice?" he mocked.

Naomi's breathing grew more ragged as a sudden wind picked up. "Stop it… stop it… GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, throwing an arm forward. The mysterious wind gathered in front of her, and suddenly the man that had taunted her was flying through the air, only coming to a stop when he hit the wall at the end of the hallway with a sickening crack.

The other two soldiers started backing away, holding onto the wall to keep from being blown away.

"Wh-What the hell is this girl…?" the one with a red stone in his mask gasped.

"She's some sorta monster…!" the other said.

That was the last straw. "I'M NOT A MONSTER!" Naomi screeched, clutching her head and collapsing to her knees. The wind that she seemed to be controlling somehow lashed out at everyone around her as she cried, "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! Just leave me alone!"

Reizo barely had time to grab hold of the door frame next to him when Naomi's winds—with the strength of a hurricane, it felt like—tore through the entire hallway. He clung to it like his life depended on it—which it probably did—and couldn't hold back the terrified scream. _Naomi's doing this—why?—she was our friend—why is she panicking?—she hid this from us—how is she doing this?—she knew they would attack—I don't want to die!_

Suddenly he dropped to the floor, his arms limp from exhaustion. The wind—and the Obelisk Force—was gone, a massive hole in the walls surrounding Naomi. Reizo blinked a few times, was he SURE he wasn't dreaming? Because so far the entire day had been nothing but a nightmare…

* * *

 **A/N: …Man apparently I need to write stories on my phone more often, I get so much more done ridiculously fast for some reason. This chapter actually went** _ **longer**_ **than I was expecting it to, hopefully the rest of this last scene isn't too long that it ruins the perfect chapters 12, 13, and 14 that I already have written because… reasons.**

 **Also, well then. Naomi's got a lot of secrets (let's just say the reason she hates rain directly relates to the, uh, crazy episode she had at the end)… and Suzaku appeared, albeit briefly (he was also supposed to use** _ **Knightmare Frame - Lancelot Albion**_ **alongside the** _ **Guren**_ **, but the** _ **Guren**_ **did enough and that got cut, sadly).**

 **Sucks that you'll all have to wait a while for** _ **either**_ **of these things to get a proper explanation. Feel free to theorize in the meantime~!**

 **Thanks for all the support you guys! Please leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Knightmare Frame - Guren Flight-Enabled Version_

[Unknown Attribute/Type/Effect/Stats]

 _Knightmare Frame - Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements_

FIRE Machine/Effect

Level 9

Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 face-up "Knightmare Frame - Guren Flight-Enabled Version" on your side of the field. When this card is Special Summoned: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to their combined original ATK. This card cannot attack during the turn it is Special Summoned (this effect cannot be negated). At the start of the Damage Step, if this card is battling a Level 8 or lower monster: Destroy that monster. When this card is destroyed: Special Summon 1 "Kallen Kozuki, Ace of the Black Knights" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.

ATK: 3400

DEF: 3200

* * *

 _The group is forced to split after Naomi attacks them. Running through the ruins of Heartland, Reizo, Shun, Ruri, and Yuto cross paths with a familiar face—only for their reunion to be interrupted by a girl in white._

 _Next time: The Curse's Toll_


	13. Chapter 12: The Curse's Toll

" _Astral! We really need your help right now! There's so many of these guys, can't you send 'em back to wherever they came from with the Numeron Code?"_

…

"… _It's not_ working _?! But… But that's… how…? You have all the Numbers!"_

…

" _Ohh man, this isn't good, isn't there_ something _you can do?"_

…

"… _That could work, the Numbers would be able to stand up to these guys."_

…

"… _Thanks, Astral. I won't let anyone down now!"_

 **Chapter 12: The Curse's Toll**

Naomi still knelt where she'd dropped to the ground, holding her head and crying almost silently for her sister. But the wind had stopped at least…

Shun took a wary step towards the black-haired girl, letting go of his sister while he did so. "…Naomi?"

She stiffened and sat up, eyes puffy. "O-Onee-sama…?"

"I don't know where your sister is," Shun said carefully, taking another step forward.

"Uh… I would keep my distance if I were you," Reizo warned, eyes darting between the two teens that were older than him. He _really_ wasn't sure what was going on anymore, but definitely did _not_ trust Naomi's mental state right now. And if she really was the one that caused the wind…

Naomi looked around her fervently. "Onee-sama, where are you?" she called out in a panicked, childish voice. "I-I got rid of the Securities… that means everything's okay now, r-right?"

Shun still kept walking towards her. "Naomi… can you hear me?"

The girl whipped around, her golden eyes wide with fear. She scooted back several meters before cowering behind her Duel Disk. "Wh-Who are you?! You're not onee-sama!"

At that, Shun froze—and rightfully so, he'd known Naomi for _eight years_ , she couldn't just forget about him in an instant. He closed his eyes, steeling himself for what could happen next. "Nao-chan, it's me. Kurosaki Shun. You like to call me 'Shu-kun', remember?"

She shook her head fervently. "I-I don't know you! S-Stay _away_ or I'll…!" She threw her hand up, the strange winds starting back up.

His eyes widening, he held his hands in the air. "Okay, okay, I'll stay away!"

The girl dropped her arm, the wind stopping. She really _was_ controlling it, but none of them knew how. Naomi even lowered her Duel Disk, peering over it to look at everyone. She looked scared and confused… until she spotted Yuto and Ruri, whereupon her eyes flashed with recognition… for the wrong reasons. "Yugo! Rin! Wh-Who are these people? Where's onee-sama?" she called.

Yuto and Ruri looked at each other, then back at Naomi.

"…Naomi, who are you talking to?" Yuto asked.

"…Those aren't our names," Ruri added slowly.

"You… but…" Naomi fell silent for a moment, her lower lip trembling violently. She raised a hand to her face, still shaking. "Yugo… Rin… …Ah…!" She suddenly stiffened, dropping her hand. Her eyes twisted in _rage_ — _but why?_ —and just like her Duel Disk had appeared out of thin air less than an hour ago, a crimson-colored dagger burst into existence in her hands. She brandished the dagger at Shun. "You… You did something to them!"

He backed away, hands still up. "Naomi, I didn't—"

" _That's not my name_!" she screeched, jumping up from the ground. " _Give me back my friends_!"

* * *

While Shun, Ruri, Reizo, and Yuto paid attention to Naomi and her mental breakdown, Dennis and Allen's attention was elsewhere—on Sayaka, who laid unconscious on the ground, head resting against what remained of the lockers in that hallway. A steady stream of blood slipped out from beneath her lilac hair…

"Sayaka! Please, wake up!" Allen begged, tugging on her arm. The girl made no response.

Dennis frowned, his eyebrows narrowed as his eyes darkened. "Wait, you shouldn't move her!" he said, kneeling down opposite of Allen.

"Th-Then what should I do?!" the reddish-orange-haired boy demanded.

Sayaka was still breathing fine on her own—thank goodness for that—but the bleeding was definitely a concern. "We need to keep her head still, but we also need to stop the bleeding. I just—" Dennis stopped for a moment, his eyes shut. Then he pulled out a handkerchief from the front pocket of his jacket—he always had a few on hand for his tricks—and handed it over to Allen. "Use this, and hold her head steady—but not too tightly. I'm—I'm going to help Naomi, or at least try…"

Allen held back tears as he took the handkerchief and folded it up, gently pressing it to the gash on the side of her head. Meanwhile, Dennis stood up and turned back to the quickly-devolving situation—just in time to see Naomi lunge at Shun with a blazing-red dagger.

 _Naomi's lost it_ , he thought first. Then, _Ruri-chan would be devastated if something happened to her brother._

 _(I won't be able to complete my mission if something happens to him…!)_

The thought of Shun getting hurt, or worse, was what drove the entertainer-in-training to jump in—he'd always been able to move fast, it came in handy for his performances—and while it was enough to get the dark-green-haired teen away from the dagger, he could not move in time to catch the girl's hand and stop her attack.

The fiery blade dug into Dennis' right shoulder, all the way down to the handle.

The ruins of Heartland Duel School filled with the screams of the boy that wanted to play hero. He staggered backwards, his left hand flying to hold the wound—for the second Naomi heard his screams, she'd gasped and let go of the dagger, causing it to disappear. Now all that remained was the blood dripping from beneath his left hand.

"D-Dennis!" Ruri screamed, immediately running to his side. She helped him sit down against the only remaining wall in the hallway—a diagonal from where Sayaka laid still.

Yuto just gaped at the scene, white as a ghost.

"Naomi… you…" Words would not come to Shun.

"I-I—oh God—I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The dark-haired girl staggered back again, covering her face with her hands despite them being splattered with Dennis' blood. "I didn't—I didn't—" Her hands dropped again, blood smeared on her cheeks. Combined with the dull look in her eyes, she looked _terrifying_. " _Maybe they're right… I really am just a monster…_ "

And with that, she ran away from them, disappearing from sight before any of them could protest.

* * *

With no way to track down where Naomi had gone—and no way to get answers—they instead focused on what mattered at the present—tending to Dennis and Sayaka's injuries. It was a stroke of luck that Dennis had all those handkerchiefs on hand—enough to tie together for a makeshift sling for him _and_ enough to plug up the gaping hole in his shoulder, at least temporarily. There were even some leftover to swap out once his or Sayaka's "bandages" soaked up all the blood they could.

Yuto stood away from the others, watching out for any soldiers that could circle back here even though nearly everyone had already been carded. "…She called me Yugo. As in Yugou, for Fusion…?"

 _As interesting as it is…_ "There's no point in speculating right now," Reizo said, keeping an eye out on the opposite side. He couldn't see anyone, but… "We need to focus on surviving first." Eyeing the still-unconscious Sayaka, her head in Allen's hands, and Dennis, whose skin was far-too-pale and makeshift bandages far-too-red, Ruri working to replace another wad of the handkerchiefs while ignoring the redhead's groans and cries, Reizo begrudgingly added, "We can't stay here."

Shun snapped his head towards the younger boy, from his position of assisting Ruri with redressing Dennis' shoulder. "You can't suggest that—there's no way we can move Sayaka! And Dennis will attract too much attention!"

"I—ohhh—I'm sorry guys… if I'd been faster…" Dennis muttered through clenched teeth. He winced, half-digging his left hand's fingernails into the ground as Ruri finished replacing the handkerchief.

"Dennis…" Ruri's pink eyes dulled with worry.

Shun looked away, almost pained. "…It's not your fault."

The red-haired boy offered up a pained smile. "Hah. But still…" The smile vanished, and Dennis closed his eyes. "If Sayaka and I can't be moved… leave us behind."

That met with immediate protests from everyone—except for Reizo, because as much as he _wanted_ to protest, it was logically the best idea.

"I'm _not_ leaving Sayaka behind!" Allen nearly shouted.

"And I'm not leaving _you_ behind!" Ruri retorted to Dennis. "There's no way you can ask me that, I'm _staying_ right here."

"But… Ruri—"

"Like I'd leave my little sister alone in a warzone. I'm staying if she is," Shun said.

Yuto frowned. "Then, is there any point in splitting up…?"

Reizo sighed. He certainly wasn't going to go off by himself. "I don't think so, Yuto."

"Y-You shouldn't worry about me, Ruri…" Dennis slowly pushed himself off of the locker, and grabbed his Duel Disk from behind him, hissing in pain the whole time. He placed it on his injured arm, and then hit a button on the screen. The orientation of the Graveyard, Deck, and Extra Deck slots shifted around, to what would suit a left-handed person. "Look, I can still fight… I'm really ambidextrous, I just prefer my right hand. You guys go… find someone to help… I'll protect myself and Sayaka."

* * *

It took several minutes of arguing to get Ruri—and by extension, Shun—to go out with Yuto and Reizo to find _anyone_ that could possibly help. Allen stayed behind because _someone_ needed to hold Sayaka's head still and Dennis obviously couldn't do that.

It was _heartbreaking_ , running through the streets of their once-bright city. _Everything_ was in ruins, flames in the distance kicking up smoke that hung thick under the clouds that had quit raining. Far-off screams carried through the stillness of the air—and they could only imagine the worst. Especially since they couldn't find _anyone_ else other than a group of Fusion soldiers that caused them to hide inside of an overturned dumpster for many tense minutes.

When she was sure they were gone, Ruri muttered, "We have to go back… there's no one around to help us."

"…No way," Yuto said after a moment. "Dad… there's no way Fusion got to him. H-He wouldn't just—" he trailed off, looking off at something in the distance. Forgetting all sense of being quiet, he bolted out from the dumpster, screaming, " _Dad_!"

 _There's no way…_ Reizo poked his head out from behind the construct. To his genuine surprise, there stood Kaito, unscathed but a little muddy, holding his son tightly and definitely not ready to let go anytime soon. The relief was so evident on his face. _Of all the odds… right after he mentioned his father…_

Ruri cleared her throat. "Um… sorry to interrupt… b-but, Kaito-san, you have to come back with us! Dennis and Sayaka are hurt, we l-left them back at school with Allen!"

Kaito went to reply, but the sound of someone laughing interrupted him. It drew the attention of all five residents of Heartland, their eyes finding a teenager—a girl with flowing black hair that reached her waist, and stunning violet eyes. She was in white, a suit with golden cuffs and a violet midriff. Her golden boots clicked against the concrete as she walked towards them, still laughing.

Instantly, Kaito moved himself to be in front of the children—in particular his own son—while Shun made sure to pull his sister behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" Kaito demanded.

The girl stopped, popping a hand on her hip. A malicious smile crossed her face as she noted who she'd come across. "My, my. Today must be my _lucky_ day. Thanks _so_ much, Akaba Boy and Bracelet Girl. You saved me _so_ much time and trouble by coming _right_ to me."

Reizo's mouth froze half-open. He knew this girl— _no, no, no, I DON'T_ —she looked _just_ like him but as a girl— _it's just a coincidence_ —and deep inside his memories, he recognized her as his mother— _that's not right, she's barely older than_ me _, and she isn't Akaba Himika_.

 _Marianne vi Britannia_. His throat tightened at the thought. First it was Kaiya in that tournament three years ago, then it was C.C., then it was Aria, then it was that stranger that had saved them at school. With the girl in white, that made _five_ faces he recognized that he shouldn't. Was he actually…?

"Y-You mean… me and Reizo?" Ruri gasped. "Why do you want us…?"

"You aren't laying a _finger_ on either of them," Kaito growled.

The girl cocked her head to the side, gazing at Yuto. Completely ignoring Kaito, she continued, "The Dragon too…?" She laughed again. "Oh, that's _hilarious_!" She stopped, pointing a finger and the blond. "You know, if I were you, I'd be more worried about myself. See, you and that green-haired boy? You're _absolutely_ unnecessary." Her cruel smile grew as she activated her own Duel Disk, which shot out a blade shaped like a sword, outlined in white. "I'm _definitely_ adding you to my collection."

"I will _not_ lose to someone like you!" Kaito declared.

Shun stepped forward, also ready. "Neither will I."

Yuto fumbled with his Duel Disk, but his dad forced him to stay out of it. Kaito and Shun would take care of it… "Be careful, Dad. Shun."

The blond reassuredly squeezed his son's shoulder before turning away. "I just said I won't lose, Yuto. We're going to be fine." He closed his eyes for a moment before undoing his Duel Disk from his wrist. "I haven't done this in a while… _Duel mode: Photon Change_!"

His eyes snapped back open as he threw his Duel Disk straight above him. It spun like a boomerang while Kaito's clothes turned from black to white. A jagged blue tattoo appeared around his left eye—which then turned red—and the Duel Disk reattached to Kaito's wrist.

"Mm, flashy. Just the two of you, though? I was hoping to test my cards against the Dragon…" the girl whined. "…Oh well, this'll be a battle royale. No one draws or attacks on their first turn, m'kay?"

 **?'s Life Points: 4000. Kaito's Life Points: 4000. Shun's Life Points: 4000**

"Ladies first, right?" Before waiting for an answer, the girl in white slid a Spell Card into the side of her Duel Disk. "I activate the Field Spell _Realm of Cursed Souls_!"

Their surroundings morphed into a hellish landscape of torture instruments connected together by barbed wire and chains. In an instant, more chains appear from the center of the three Duelists, and they fanned out, wrapping around all three of their Duel Disks.

"Thanks to my Field Spell, whenever someone draws a monster during their Draw Phase, they have to mill cards equal to its Level," she explained, letting loose a chuckle. "Better hope you don't draw one with a high Level, you'll run out of cards, and that is _such_ a boring way for me to win." She looked back over her hand, and selected one of them. "Mm, I'll Summon _Cursed Soul of Zero_ in Defense Mode, then I'll end my turn with two face-downs."

A wooden cross appeared in front of the girl, and for a moment, there was nothing else there. Then, some of the chains from the edge of the field detached from the barrier, obscuring the cross. They tightened around the form of some young man that was nailed to it, obscuring everything but the bloody left side of his face. His eye was shut.

 _ **Cursed Soul of Zero**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 1 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF**

Kaito stepped forward. "I _won't_ let you win. I Summon _Photon Chargeman_ , then activate its effect to double its ATK until my next Standby Phase."

A completely blue robot appeared before Kaito, the plating on its arms, head, and torso being a light shade of blue-grey. A blue circuit circled the yellow orb in its chest, then ran down its legs to its boots.

 _ **Photon Chargeman**_ **: LIGHT Warrior-Type / Level 4 / 1000 → 2000 ATK / 1000 DEF**

"Then, I activate the Equip Spell _Photon Spear_ and Equip it to _Chargeman_! It now counts as two Tributes. And because it has 2000 ATK, I release _Photon Chargeman_ , counting as two monsters…! _The galaxy that lurks in the darkness. Become the light of hope and my very servant. The embodiment of light, now descend! Appear now, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!_ "

Beside Kaito, a magenta-colored cross appeared, the horizontal piece curved upwards. In the center of the pieces was a blue sphere. Kaito grabbed hold of the piece and threw it directly into the air. As it spun, it pulled in blue light from all around.

Suddenly, it burst apart.

When the light dimmed, all Duelists could see a dragon with a body made of icy-blue light, contained to a physical form by deep violet armor around its thighs, shoulders, torso, and neck. Its tail was also segmented with violet armor, ending with the one of the points of the magenta-colored cross that had brought it forth. A second of the points crowned the dragon's head, while the rest had morphed into an X across its chest, a diamond of blue in the center. The dragon spread its translucent, shimmering wings and roared.

 _ **Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon**_ **: LIGHT Dragon-Type / Level 8 / 3000 ATK / 2000 DEF**

The girl in white covered her mouth, pretending to gasp in surprise. "My, my, that's quite the dragon you have there. Haha, I'm _definitely_ adding you to my collection, Xyz filth."

"Like _hell_ you will. I Set one card and end my turn," Kaito finished.

"My turn, then!" Shun stepped forward, a card separated from his hand. He placed it on his Duel Disk in one swift motion, declaring, "I Summon _Raidraptor - Singing Lanius_!"

A pudgy brown bird covered in yellow armor appeared in front of the green- haired Duelist. It had the red symbol of the "Raidraptors" on its belly, and its wings were nothing more than two tiny blades from the armor that covered its body.

 _ **Raidraptor - Singing Lanius**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 4 / 100 ATK / 100 DEF**

"Next, because I control a 'Raidraptor' monster, I can Special Summon _Raidraptor - Pain Lanius_ from my hand and make its Level equal to _Singing Lanius_ , but I take 100 damage as the cost."

Another pudgy bird appeared on Shun's field, but this time it was a silver one cloaked in a green shell. Its wings extended as green blades, with red half-circles crossing the entire span of said blades like a bat's wings. The mirrored "Rs" were on its back.

 _ **Raidraptor - Pain Lanius**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 1 → 4 / 100 ATK / 100 DEF**

 **Shun's Life Points: 4000 - 100 → 3900**

"I Overlay my two Level 4 monsters! _Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix!_ " Shun chanted.

His two pudgy birds turned into separate orbs of light, circling each other before dropping into a red galaxy. The swirl of light exploded, and out flew a much larger mechanical bird, this one being an owl-like creature, covered in yellow-brown armor. Its joints were connected with the same blue-colored disks that its talons were colored, with green orbs set inside each disk. At the end of each wing were three large, jagged, red feathers. The red symbol marked its head, a contrast against the blue plating there.

 _ **Raidraptor - Force Strix**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Rank 4 / 500 ATK / 2000 DEF**

"Hoh? That's not _nearly_ as impressive as the other filth's card…" the girl whined. "How _lame_."

Ignoring her words, Shun continued, "The effect of _Force Strix_ activates: by detaching one of its Xyz Material, I can add a Level 4 'Raidraptor' from my Deck to my hand. I'll add _Raidraptor - Booster Strix_ , then I'll end my turn with two face-downs."

The two cards appeared on his field for a moment, then vanished.

The girl in white grinned. "That's all you've got? Pfft, and you call yourselves Duelists… it's filth like you that _deserve_ to be turned into cards. It's my turn, draw!"

She revealed the card she drew—a Level 4 monster named _Cursed Soul of Witch_. The chain wrapped around her Duel Disk yanked her harshly to the ground, four cards spilling from her Deck before being forced into the Graveyard. She stood up, rolling her shoulder a little, but aside from that was not bothered by her Field Spell's harmful effect.

"Ah, this is _perfect_." She added the monster to her hand and grabbed the other card. "I activate the Continuous Spell _Avarice of Cursed Souls_!"

More chains appeared from the ground beneath each Duelist, wrapping around their free hand. The difference was, these new chains had some sort of circuitry running through them.

"Better _really_ hope you don't draw a high-leveled monster anymore, _Avarice of Cursed Souls_ inflicts 200 damage to someone for each and every card they mill from their Deck," the girl explained, a mad grin on her face. She spread her arms wide. "In this _Realm of Cursed Souls_ , you'll be in for _quite_ the amount of pain." She quit the pose, tapping a button on her Duel Disk. "…While I'm messing with Spells, I think I'll go ahead and activate my Continuous Trap _Bane of Cursed Souls_! Once per turn during my Main Phase, I can destroy a 'Cursed Soul' monster I control! And you know what, I think I'll use its effect _right_ now on _Cursed Soul of Zero_!"

 _She wants to destroy her own monster?!_ Reizo thought, alarmed at the idea. Duelists didn't just _do_ that unless they had something planned.

The chains encircling her monster burst into flames, but the monster made no moves other than to open his lone, blood-red eye, before he shattered alongside the cross he was nailed to. The girl in white grinned once more as a red-tinted aura appeared around _Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ , and she pointed at it. "When _Cursed Soul of Zero_ is destroyed by a card effect, I get to take control of a monster on the field 'til the End Phase. Hand over that _lovely_ looking dragon, m'kay, _filth_?"

One grey and one red eye widened in surprise, then narrowed with fury. "You…! There are only two people that have the right to use 'Galaxy-Eyes', and you are _not_ one of them."

"It's just a regular ol' card, _deal_ with it _filth_. You don't have any choice but to hand over your _oh-so-precious_ dragon, unless you want me to just go ahead and add you to my collection _now_."

"Tch…!" Kaito held his tongue as he unwillingly tossed his ace to his opponent.

The girl sneered at him as she caught it and stuck it on her Duel Disk. The shimmering dragon changed sides, still surrounded by the blood-red aura. "That's better. Mm, now what to do… ah, I know. _Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ , attack that filth you call your master directly!"

"D-Dad!" Yuto cried, alarmed.

Kaito narrowed his eyes, then declared, "The effect of _Kuriphoton_ in my hand activates! I discard it and halve my Life Points, but I take no damage for the rest of this turn!"

A barrier of silver-blue light covered the Galaxy-Eyes Duelist, just in time to protect him from his dragon's attack. The supercharged burst of light dispersed upon hitting the barrier, churning up the ground around Kaito.

 **Kaito's Life Points: 4000/2 → 2000**

The girl pouted a little upon seeing that the attack did nothing. "Maaaan, you dodged it. Oh well, guess I'll Summon _Cursed Soul of Witch_ in Attack Mode and end my turn."

A girl chained inside of a straight-jacket, her face covered by a ragged bag, appeared on the field. Her long, lime-green hair closed flowed from underneath the bag, tangled within the chains surrounding her. A massive steel ball weighed her down to the ground, the chain dug into her ankles.

 _ **Cursed Soul of Witch**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF**

* * *

 **A/N: …Dang, the beginning ended up being a** _ **lot**_ **longer than I thought it was going to be. And I had the** _ **perfect**_ **spot to cliffhanger the Duel on that ended up relegated for part of the next chapter… oh well, at least the next chapter retains its uber perfect cliffhanger.**

 **Oh yeah, make of the girl from Fusion as you will. She's not necessarily going to be a carbon copy of Marianne with the background she has in this. I'm so sorry for not revealing the proper name of reborn!Marianne though… it wouldn't fit in the dialogue even as just a throwaway line. You'll get her name in time… lots and lots of time…**

 **Oh, and yeah. Excluding the pre-chapter thing and the author's note, all of chapter 13 is done. I'll probably put it up on Saturday or something… and then after that, sadly the updates won't be as frequent. I've got a job now, band camp's starting tomorrow, and then school shortly after that. Just to give you guys a head's up about that.**

… **Anyways, thanks for reading! Please leave a review to show your support!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Realm of Cursed Souls_

Field Spell

Effect: Whenever a player draws a Monster Card during the Draw Phase: Send cards from the top of their Deck to the Graveyard, equal to the drawn monster's Level.

 _Cursed Soul of Zero_

DARK Fiend/Effect

Level 1

Effect: When this card is destroyed by a card effect: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it until the end of this turn.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _Avarice of Cursed Souls_

Continuous Spell

Effect: Whenever a card(s) is sent from a player's Deck to their Graveyard: Inflict 200 damage to them for each card sent.

 _Bane of Cursed Souls_

Continuous Trap

Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Cursed Soul" monster you control; destroy it.

 _Cursed Soul of Witch_

DARK Fiend/Effect

Level 4

Effect: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon it, then inflict 1000 damage to both players.

0 ATK

0 DEF

* * *

 _The Battle Royale continues, with Reizo and Yuto joining in after several more turns. Then, just as he's about to take his second turn… what's wrong with Yuto?_

 _Next time: Cursed Souls Rise_


	14. Chapter 13: Cursed Souls Rise

" _Hah, you two claim to be two of the best Duelists in this dimension, yet you've both been such_ pushovers _! I sure hope my dear Hitomi's found better prey… Oh well, make your last desperate moves. I end my turn."_

…

" _You bastard…! I'll show you what happens when you make me angry! Barian's Chaos Draw!"_

…

" _I activate the Spell_ Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One _!_

…

"… _Pfft, so you brought out a bigger one of those 'Number' monsters. Big whoop."_

…

" _Alito's not the only one with a card like that! I activate my own_ Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One _!"_

…

" _H-How…? He even destroyed our Numbers…!"_

…

" _You inferior Xyz scum never stood a chance against_ me _._ El Shaddoll Nephilim _! Take out the rest of their Life Points!"_

 **Chapter 12: Cursed Souls Rise**

The girl tossed Kaito back his card, and a small amount of his rage dimmed because he had his card back. "It's my turn, draw!" He revealed the card—a Spell, _Triangle Evolution_ —and a thin smile appeared on his face.

"Lucky, lucky. You escaped the curse of _both_ of my cards," the violet-eyed girl said.

"Your so-called _curse_ won't last much longer," Kaito said, sliding the Spell he drew into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell _Triangle Evolution_! This lets me treat _Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ as _three_ monsters for an Xyz Summon this turn, but any monster I Summon because of this loses 1000 ATK. But that doesn't matter…! I Overlay _Galaxy-Eyes_ , counted as three monsters! _Radiant galaxy, here and now become the striking light, and show yourself! Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Descend, my very soul! Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_!"

Two transparent copies of the shimmering dragon split off, immediately turning into separate orbs of light, circling each other. The original turned into the same sort of light, though it kept its shape as it flew into the galaxy that loomed overhead alongside the copies.

Then, a two-pronged dark violet javelin with a magenta stripe decorating each prong materialized beside Kaito. He grabbed the handle of it and, bending his arm back, launched the javelin at the center of the galaxy. Upon contact with the swirl of red light, everything exploded in a shower of stars.

The dragon that descended was much larger and _much_ more magnificent than the previous one. Its body was now a deep reddish-pink light, still contained in the dark violet armor. However, this one also had segmented black armor covering its arms and legs, along with the necks of its two new heads. Galaxies shined in all three pairs of its eyes.

 _ **Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon**_ **: LIGHT Dragon-Type / Rank 8 / 4500 - 1000 → 3500 ATK / 3000 DEF**

"Whoa… maybe I should've waited for _Zero's_ effect… or not. That's the very _symbol_ of you filth." The girl laughed, as though what she said was funny.

"You won't be laughing after this! First, because I used _Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ as Xyz Material, _Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ negates the effects of all other monsters on the field!"

Both the girl's monster and Shun's seemed to drain of all color.

"You made a mistake leaving your monster in Attack Mode," Kaito said. " _Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_ , attack _Cursed Soul of Witch_! _Ultimate Photon Stream of Destruction_!"

"Oh no, I'm _sooo_ scared," she droned, then smiled. "I don't _make_ mistakes, filth. I activate my Counter Trap _Phantom of Cursed Souls_! This negates your monster's attack, then destroys my monster!"

 _Again with destroying her own monster…_

A bolt of indigo lightning struck the witch, destroying her in an instant. The shards of her hologram remained, though, and suddenly shot out at all three Duelists. Kaito and Shun both shielded their faces as the shards struck them, not quite drawing blood, but ripping a few holes in their clothes.

Like boomerangs, the shards returned to their original positions… and the green-haired witch returned.

 **?'s Life Points: 4000 - 1000 → 3000. Kaito's Life Points: 2000 - 1000 → 1000. Shun's Life Points: 3900 - 1000 → 2900.**

"Surprised? _Cursed Soul of Witch_ can _really_ hold a grudge, when she's destroyed by a card effect, she comes right back and hits everyone for 1000 damage in the process."

"Tch… if I'd known that…!" Kaito scowled. "I end my turn."

"I know what _not_ to do now… My turn, draw!" The green-haired boy drew his card… and revealed it to be the Level 4 _Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture_.

At once, the chain around his Duel Disk forced him to the ground, and he grunted in pain when his arm connected with it. Four cards spilled out of his Disk, then forced to the Graveyard.

A second later, the circuits of the chain wrapped around his other arm lit up a bright indigo color—and then the boy was _screaming_ as the chains _electrocuted_ him.

 **Shun's Life Points: 2900 - (200 × 4) → 2100**

"Nii-san!" Ruri cried, running to her brother's side.

He winced as he slowly stood back up with his sister's help, a small amount of blood dripping from his left wrist. "I'm… I'm fine, Ruri. Stay back."

The girl in white cocked her head again. "'Nii-san'?" she questioned. "I didn't know Bracelet Girl had a brother…" Her smile grew cruel again. "Ohh, that's going to make carding him _that_ much more fun."

Ruri's pink eyes bristled with anger. "You _won't_ —"

"Quit talking about my sister and I like we're your _playthings_ ," Shun spat. "When I take damage from a card effect, I can Special Summon _Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture_ in Attack Mode!"

A small, skinny mechanical bird appeared on his field. Its brown neck was _long_ , with small pipes sticking out of it like spines all the way up to its head. The archetype's symbol marked the base of its neck. Its wings started as blue disks surrounded by yellow half-circles, each of those connected by three bars to a brown plate. Three more bars extended from the plates like feathers.

 _ **Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Level 4 / 1700 ATK / 100 DEF**

"Next, I activate one of my face-downs, _Rank-Up-Magic - Raid Force_! This lets me use _Force Strix_ , and Rank it up to become even stronger! _Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!_ "

The colorless owl spiralled into the same sort of light that had given birth to it. A new falcon emerged from it, blood-red metal set atop black. Its wings started as a triangle of yellow disks, before extending as short red blades from the top of the three disks. The end and underside of each wing had smaller yellow disks attached in a line, with exhaust pipes for feathers extending from each disk. On its chest shined the mirrored "Rs" of the "Raidraptors".

 _ **Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon**_ **: DARK Winged Beast-Type / Rank 5 / 1000 ATK / 2000 DEF**

"There's no way I'll use its effect now, but _Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon_ can attack you directly!" Shun declared, pointing right at the dark-haired girl.

His red falcon divebombed on its target, who didn't so much as flinch from the attack.

 **?'s Life Points: 3000 - 1000 → 2000**

"Then _Avenge Vulture_ attacks _Cursed Soul of Witch_!"

"Aw, that's too bad. _Cursed Soul of Witch_ can't be destroyed in battle."

Shun 'tch'ed as his second attack did absolutely nothing. "I end my turn, then."

" _Goodie_ , it's _way_ more fun when it's my turn." She went to draw her card. "I—"

" _New player joining. Turn prioritized."_

 **Reizo's Life Points: 4000**

All eyes turned to Reizo, whose Duel Disk was the one that spoke. He'd already drawn a starting hand, his violet eyes ablaze.

"Reizo?! You shouldn't join this, the damage she causes is _real_ ," Shun said, eyes wide.

Reizo shook his head. "I don't care, I can't sit by and let other people fight my battles."

 _("If a king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?")_

Reizo shook away the thought that _wasn't_ his. "It's _my_ turn, _I_ draw!"

As he drew his new card, the chains of the girl's cards wrapped around his arms. The card he revealed to all was…

" _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_ …! Of all the times—AHHH!"

Reizo's words were cut off by the chain encircling his left arm yanking him to the ground, then the one encircling his right discharging electricity into him. No _way_ was it just a hologram anymore, that felt _far_ too real for it.

 **Reizo's Life Points: 4000 - (200 × 8) → 2400**

Shakily, he stood back up. He had everything he needed to win this turn in his hand, he _could not_ be weak. So he steadied himself for just a moment before sliding a card into his Disk. "I start with the Spell _Dark World Dealings_! Now we all draw one card, and then discard one from our hand!"

The card he drew was _Dark Deal_ , and the one he discarded was _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_. And _Beiige_ could be Special Summoned after being discarded, which was exactly what Reizo wanted.

 _ **Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1600 ATK / 1300 DEF**

"Next up, I Summon the Tuner _Ambur, Ensign of Dark World_!"

A lanky-looking skeleton appeared before Reizo, its eyes glowing a bright red. It held two spears made of bone and muscle, one in each hand. The tips of each were colored a deep amber-brown.

 _ **Ambur, Ensign of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1700 ATK / 1200 DEF**

"A _Tuner_?" The girl licked her lips. "Ooh, this is _nice_ , I won't have to just deal with _filth_."

 _Xyz Monsters_ aren't _filth_ , Reizo thought, but he held that back because there truly was no reasoning with a girl like this. "I Tune my Level 4 _Ambur, Ensign of Dark World_ with my Level 4 _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World_! _Mad ruler, extend your kingdom across the earth! Claim everything in the name of Dark World! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Arise, Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World!_ "

The lanky skeleton turned into four green rings, which circled the other fiend in a column. Light exploded from the wings, and a woman with amethyst-colored skin stepped out of it. Her dark, twisted crown rested atop her curved horns, one above each ear, though it was hard to tell which parts were the crown and which were her horns. The dark-grey armor she wore hugged her figure tightly, amethysts to match her skin and name set across her chest. In her hands was a staff, the end of it a skull with rubies for eyes.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2600 ATK / 1800 DEF**

"When Synchro Summoned, _Amethyss_ lets me draw three cards! Oh, and while I'm at it, I should mention that her effect lets her gain 200 ATK for each card in my hand!"

He drew _Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World_ , _Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World_ , and _Polymerization_. He flinched at seeing the last card, the symbol of the people that were attacking this dimension for nothing more than _fun_.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 2600 + (200 × 7) → 4000**

The girl in white whistled. "Quite the powerhouse you have now, huh, boy? But it won't do you any good, you still can't touch my monster."

"Who said I was going to attack your monster?" Reizo retorted.

"Oh…?"

The amethyst-eyed boy smirked as he grabbed a card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell _Dark World Maelstrom_! By returning three 'Dark World' monsters from my hand to my Deck, I can grant _Amethyss_ the ability to attack you directly this turn!"

 _Goldd_ , _Kahkki_ , and _Ceruli, Guru of Dark World_ went back to his Deck.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 4000 → 3200 ATK**

"Sure, it weakens my monster a little… but it doesn't matter because she still has more ATK than you do Life Points! Go now, _Amethyss_! Attack her directly and end this Duel!" Reizo shouted, pointing at his opponent. Her only Trap was one that she could use during _her_ turn, not his. It _had_ to be his win now.

…The girl that looked like him smiled, wagging her finger at him. "Don't go counting your victory just yet, boy. I activate the effect of _Cursed Soul of Liar_ from my Graveyard! When I take a direct attack, I can banish this guy and stop it!"

A child with long blond hair appeared before her, wrapped in chains. His hair was just as long as that of _Cursed Soul of Witch_ , and just like the witch, his hair tangled in the chains. He wasn't _attached_ to anything though—but he _did_ have a large knife sticking out of his back. _Cursed Soul of Liar_ stepped in front of _Amethyss_ , and just by _glaring_ at her with his tiny reddish-purple eyes, froze the demon queen in place.

"Dammit…" Reizo muttered, scowling. _All that work for nothing._

The girl pressed a finger to her lips. "Oh yeah, that's not all. _Cursed Soul of Liar_ lets me Special Summon _Cursed Soul of Emperor_ from my Extra Deck, _completely_ ignoring his Summoning conditions. Isn't that _wonderful_?"

A guillotine appeared before the girl, the blade still at the top. In the base of the execution machine was a man with sandy-brown hair, his eyes sewn shut. The once-regal robes that he wore were now torn, bloodied, and caked in mud. It was impossible to identify a royal crest on them, though, as just like the girl's other monsters, the man was chained tightly to the instrument that would kill him.

 _ **Cursed Soul of Emperor**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 9 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF**

Reizo narrowed his eyes at the monster. It must have a powerful effect to make up for its utter lack of ATK or DEF despite being a Level 9 Fusion Monster. He didn't trust it one bit… but there wasn't much else he could do this turn. He eyed his hand again. _Dark Deal_ , _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_ , and _Polymerization_. "I end my turn, and because it's my End Phase, I have to return a card from my hand to the bottom of my Deck to keep _Amethyss_ on the field." Back went _Polymerization_.

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 3200 → 3000 ATK**

"Aw, you couldn't do anything either. That's just too bad. But it's _my_ —"

" _New player joining. Turn prioritized."_

 **Yuto's Life Points: 4000**

" _Another_ interruption?!" the girl screeched. "Let me have my _turn_ already!"

Kaito nearly glared at his son. "Yuto! I told you to stay out of this!"

The grey-eyed boy bit his lip. "I… I can't just stand around and watch! Sorry Dad, but it's _my_ turn! Draw!"

"Yuto—"

The boy revealed the card he drew as the Level 3 _The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak_. The chain around his Duel Disk pulled him down to the pavement as it did the others, while the other shocked him as harshly as it could. Aside from a wince, Yuto didn't make any noises like he was in pain.

 **Yuto's Life Points: 4000 - (200 × 3) → 3400**

"I'll start by Summoning the monster I just drew," Yuto said, placing the card on the blade that was his Monster Card Zone.

A torn, dark-purple cloak animated by a light-blue flame where someone's head was supposed to be appeared before the boy. It had a necklace of tiny skulls around its neck, while two silver staves with three prongs at the end served as the monster's arms.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak**_ **: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 3 / 800 ATK / 1000 DEF**

"And when I control a face-up 'The Phantom Knights' monster, I can Special Summon _The Phantom Knights of Hollow Guard_!" Yuto continued.

A transparent, circular shield appeared before Yuto. The design was simple—an "X" of a thicker metal across the front. A blue flame glowed in the center.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Hollow Guard**_ **: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 3 / 600 ATK / 900 DEF**

"I Overlay my two Level 3 monsters! _Souls of knights who fell on the battlefield. Revive here and now, and become the light that breaks the darkness! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 3, The Phantom Knights of Break Sword!_ " Yuto chanted.

His two monsters spiralled into another galaxy, which promptly burst in a shower of light. Replacing them was a cavalier made entirely of armor, along with its horse—also entirely made of armor. The cavalier was missing a helm, revealing its head made of icy-blue flames. Its shoulders, where its arms were separated from the rest of its body, were also blue flames. In its right hand, it held a massive, yet broken, broadsword. The blade itself was violet, with the edges covered in twisted gold.

 _ **The Phantom Knights of Break Sword**_ **: DARK Warrior-Type / Rank 3 / 2000 ATK / 1000 DEF**

"I'll Set three cards," Yuto continued, sliding the three into his Disk, before he held up the last card in his hand, "and then I'll activate the Quick-Play Spell _Mystical Space Typhoon_!"

For once, the girl actually paled.

"I choose to destroy your Field Spell, _Realm of Cursed Souls_!"

The chains around everyone's Duel Disks vanished instantly, along with the ones that formed a barrier around them. All the torture devices vanished as well—except the ones _Cursed Soul of Witch_ and _Cursed Soul of Emperor_ were attached to.

"Man, there goes my combo…" the girl complained, but then immediately shrugged. "Oh well, that's fine. You gonna do anything else, Dragon?"

"Don't _call_ me that, my name is _Yuto_ ," he said, almost angrily. His eyes softened a moment. "And… that's the end of my turn."

The girl in white spared a glance at Ruri. "…You aren't gonna join too, are you, Bracelet Girl?"

Ruri frowned. "I want to, but…" Her Duel Disk had been destroyed alongside her locker.

The violet-eyed girl grinned. " _Finally_! It's my turn, draw!" She drew her card, and her grin grew wider. "Oh, this is just _too_ perfect. I activate the Spell _Barrier of Cursed Souls_! Until the start of my next turn, my 'Cursed Soul' monsters can't be destroyed in battle, _and_ I can't take damage from direct attacks, so good luck trying one of those underhanded tricks."

A barricade of transparent chains crisscrossed in front of both of her monsters.

"Of course, that doesn't mean _I_ can't destroy my monsters. The effect of _Bane of Cursed Souls_ activates! I destroy _Cursed Soul of Witch_ , and you know what that means…!"

"Dad…!" Yuto gasped.

"Don't worry about me, Yuto," Kaito said, flipping up his Set card. "I chain the effect of my Quick-Play Spell _Photon Prevent_! The effect damage I'd take is negated because I control a 'Photon' monster!"

A barrier surrounded the blond, and the shards of the girl's monster bounced off it harmlessly. For everyone else, though, the shards tore at their clothes and skin before reforming into the green-haired witch.

 **?'s Life Points: 2000 - 1000 → 1000. Shun's Life Points: 2100 - 1000 → 1100. Reizo's Life Points: 2400 - 1000 → 1400. Yuto's Life Points: 3400 - 1000 → 2400.**

"Maaan, I was hoping to get _both_ of you filth this turn." The girl shrugged. "Oh well, oh well. Try and stop _this_! _Cursed Soul of Emperor_ attacks _Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_!"

"What?!"

She smirked at their confusion. "I told you before, I don't make mistakes. See, my monster has the power to bounce back the damage I'd take in battles involving it. Haha, _fall to your own strength_!"

Kaito paled. He didn't have anything to stop _that_.

"I won't let you!" Yuto shouted, the middle of his face-down cards flipped up. " _Negate Attack_ brings a stop to your monster's attack _and_ your Battle Phase!"

The dark-haired girl stomped her feet, like she was throwing a tantrum. "You are _no_ fun, Dragon!"

"I _told_ you my name is _Yuto_!"

"Do you think I care?"

Yuto looked like he was going to hit something—probably the girl that would _not_ stop taunting them—but took a deep breath to calm himself. It wasn't like him to get so angry—even if the source of his ire was going around turning people into cards. Instead, he spared a glance at his father. "You okay, Dad?"

"Yeah. …Thanks."

"Ugh…! _Fine_! You all get _one_ more turn, got that?" the girl said. "That's _it_ , on my next turn you _all_ lose. So go ahead and make one desperate last attempt!"

Reizo found that hard to believe, even _with_ her monster's effects, there was no way she could beat four people at once. Still… he couldn't take that threat lightly.

"Go ahead and tell yourself that. My turn, draw!" Kaito looked at the card in his hand, a thin frown crossing his lips. "…I was hoping for something else, but this works. I activate the effect of _Kuriphoton_ in my Graveyard! By discarding a 'Photon' monster from my hand, I can add _Kuriphoton_ back to my hand!"

He showed off the _Photon Caesar_ that he'd drawn that turn, then slid it into the Graveyard. The same slot in his Duel Disk then ejected a different card, _Kuriphoton_.

"That ends my turn."

"One down, three to go." The girl laughed to herself. "What will _you_ do, filth number two?"

Shun snarled, but said nothing else as he drew his card. He, too, looked disappointed in what he drew. "I Set a card face-down, and switch both of my monsters to Defense Mode. Turn end."

"Halfway now, and neither filth did anything. Better pick up the slack, Akaba Reizo."

The violet-eyed boy frowned; he was _really_ getting tired of her condescending attitude. But if she felt so confident in her victory, she could easily slip up and make a mistake, despite her claims. With that in mind, Reizo drew his card. _Hallowed Life Barrier_. It was _far_ from a game changer, but it _would_ protect him from damage on the girl's next turn. That would be enough to throw her off. "I Set a card, and that ends my turn. Once again, I place a card from my hand on the bottom of my Deck to keep _Amethyss_ out."

 _ **Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World**_ **: 3000 → 2800 ATK**

" _Booo-ring_ ," the girl droned, popping a hand on her hip. "I expected _sooo_ much more from you."

"You'll see once it's your turn…"

Silence. Then, the faint sound of someone crying.

Yuto. Yuto was crying.

In an instant, Kaito was by his son's side, hands on both his shoulders. The teary-eyed boy broke down _sobbing_ as he threw his arms around his dad. Kaito blinked, not understanding what was happening—Yuto _never_ cried like this—but eventually returned the hug, and did his best to comfort Yuto.

Reizo was _stunned_. He'd _never_ seen Yuto break down like this. It was… it was almost like Naomi, when she'd panicked in the school. What on _earth_ triggered this?

Meanwhile, the Kurosaki siblings, while obviously worried about their friend, had other things on their minds. For some inexplicable reason, Ruri's bracelet was _glowing_ , a faint pulse emanating from it every few seconds like an alarm. Neither one had any idea why.

"Oh, suck it up, Dragon. You should be better than this." The girl in white shifted her weight, extending a hand out in front of her. "If you start crying at the first sign of trouble, you should be _ashamed_ to call yourself the Dragon of Xyz."

Suddenly, Yuto tensed up in his father's arms. Kaito let go and stepped back, still close by. The boy straightened as all color drained from his face, eyes wide in horror. Then he doubled over, clutching at his chest.

And he began to scream.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's the chapter on Saturday as I promised.**

… **So the Fusion Girl still hasn't revealed her name, but has been able to sufficiently hold her own against not only Kaito and Shun, but also Reizo and Yuto. She's also been taunting them all… not exactly a good idea considering what's happening to Yuto at the end.**

 **Heehee~I hope I get the rest of the next chapter completed quickly, I only have half of it done right now. But next chapter is** _ **so**_ **much fun.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope you leave a review!**

… **Y'know what, I'm feeling particularly thankful to the people who review this story. Anyone that leaves a review on this chapter (and isn't a guest), I'll PM a little snippet that'll look like one of the cryptic pre-chapter things. So yeah. Review if you want that!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Cursed Soul of Witch_

DARK Fiend/Effect

Level 4

Effect: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon it, then inflict 1000 damage to both players.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _Phantom of Cursed Souls_

Counter Trap

Effect: When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a "Cursed Soul" monster: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, then destroy the "Cursed Soul" monster that was attacked.

 _Realm of Cursed Souls_

Field Spell

Effect: Whenever a player draws a Monster Card during the Draw Phase: Send cards from the top of their Deck to the Graveyard, equal to the drawn monster's Level.

 _Avarice of Cursed Souls_

Continuous Spell

Effect: Whenever a card(s) is sent from a player's Deck to their Graveyard: Inflict 200 damage to them for each card sent.

 _Ambur, Ensign of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Tuner/Effect

Level 4

Effect: Once per turn, if this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect: Target 2 of your banished "Dark World" cards; your opponent chooses one of them, add that one to your hand, then shuffle the other one into your Deck.

1700 ATK

1200 DEF

 _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect

Level 8

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters

Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.

ATK: 2600

DEF: 1800

 _Dark World Maelstrom_

Normal Spell

Effect: Target 1 monster you control: Shuffle 3 "Dark World" monsters from your hand into your Deck; that target can attack your opponent directly this turn.

 _Cursed Soul of Liar_

DARK Fiend/Effect

Level 2

Effect: You take no battle damage from cards involving this card. If this card is in your Graveyard when your opponent declares a direct attack: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; end the Battle Phase, then Special Summon 1 "Cursed Soul of Emperor" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _Cursed Soul of Emperor_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 9

2 "Cursed Soul" monsters

Effect: Your opponent takes all battle damage you would have taken from battles involving this card. When this card is destroyed by a card effect: Special Summon 1 "Cursed Soul of Empress" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _The Phantom Knights of Hollow Guard_

DARK Warrior/Effect

Level 3

Effect: If you control a face-up "The Phantom Knights" monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can increase this card's Level by 1, and if you do, the Level all other monsters you control with a Level becomes the same as this card's Level until the End Phase.

600 ATK

1300 DEF

 _Barrier of Cursed Souls_

Normal Spell

Effect: Until the start of your next turn: "Cursed Soul" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect; also, you take no battle damage from battles that do not involve a "Cursed Soul" monster.

 _Bane of Cursed Souls_

Continuous Trap

Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Cursed Soul" monster you control; destroy it.

* * *

 _Something is very wrong with Yuto as the Duel comes to an unexpected and tragic close. Meanwhile, Ruri's bracelet shines, but for what reason…?_

 _Next time: The Rage of Re;bellion_


	15. Chapter 14: The Rage of Rebellion

"… _Snap out of it! This isn't you!"_

…

" _What… what did I do…?"_

…

" _It doesn't matter what you did… What matters is your resolve. You w— to —e your f—?"_

…

" _Yes, but… but I can't. He's already…"_

…

" _I know. But… there's still a way. His — doesn't —today. I…"_

…

" _My sister isn't going to like this… not one bit… But, but I can't just watch a friend go down this path."_

…

" _Reset."_

 **Chapter 14: The Rage of Re;bellion**

No one moved—they had no idea what was wrong with Yuto, and they certainly had no idea how to help him. The boy screamed like his _soul_ was being torn apart from his body, and his closest friends and his own _father_ did nothing but _watch_. They were all horrified by the scene—all except for the girl from Fusion, who stated stared at the boy and _laughed_.

"Took him long enough!" She exclaimed, actually _excited_ by the development.

Her exclamation tore Kaito's eyes away from his son. Fury filled his voice. " _What did you do to my son?!_ "

The girl raised an eyebrow and exaggerated motioning to herself. "Me? You must be mistaken, filth, the Dragon's doing that to _himself_!"

Kaito went to throw back a retort when Yuto abruptly quit screaming. The boy righted himself—but it was… off, he stood up _too_ straight. His hair shifted, as though held up by a strong breeze. And when he lifted his head, revealing his eyes… they were stone-cold and _glowing_ , his irises shining like forsaken stars.

Kaito took a step back in surprise. "Yuto…?"

"It's my turn. Draw," Yuto said, completely monotone. He pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Rank-Up-Magic - The Phantom Knights of Launch_. Using _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword_ as Material, I Xyz Summon a monster one Rank higher."

He threw his hand up at that, while his ghostly cavalier spiralled into a shining galaxy.

" _Fangs of pitch-black darkness, rise up against the foolish oppression! Descend now, my servant! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Come forth, Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!_ " Yuto chanted.

The galaxy burst, revealing a pitch-black dragon within it. The dragon's head, neck, and tail were a deep violet color. At the end of its tail stuck out two curved spikes, almost like fangs. The dragon's wings appeared more like a black skeleton of wings, with blue-green or purple-lined blades sticking out underneath to form the rest of the wing. On its chest were glowing red lines, and purple spheres like eyes rested at the base of each wing.

The dragon tilted its head back and roared.

 _ **Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon**_ **: DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 4 / 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF**

"That's your dragon, huh? Pfft, I'm not impressed," the girl said. "And here I thought you'd be as much of a challenge as Yuri…"

"Fusion…" Yuto growled, his eyes still glowing. "I will… _destroy_ … Fusion!"

 _What the hell is wrong with Yuto?!_ Reizo clenched his fists. This wasn't Yuto, the girl from Fusion _had_ to have done something to him.

The girl laughed. "You're nowhere near his level, Dragon of Xyz. Go ahead and end your turn, time's up for the lot of you."

"I Set one card and end my turn," he said, back to the monotone voice.

"Good, good. Time to end this! It's a my turn, I draw!" She didn't bother to look at the card she drew. "I activate the effect of _Bane of Cursed Souls_! Destroy _Cursed Soul of Emperor_!"

Indigo lightning arced from the sky, striking down the man and his guillotine upon contact. The scattered shards of the monster didn't disappear, though: they re-formed into an elongated golden chain, coiled in the air just above the girl's Duel Disk.

"When destroyed by a card effect, _Cursed Soul of Emperor_ allows me to Special Summon my _ace_ , ignoring her Summoning conditions," she continued. "Arise, _Cursed Soul of Empress_!"

In a burst of light, the golden chains above her Disk spiral into the sky, surrounding the new monster, but not actually binding her. The woman within sported a white uniform of some sort—nearly _identical_ to the one her master wore. Wrapped around both her arms and the lower half of her face were more golden chains that faded to grey by the ends of them. Her eyes, mismatched red and amethyst, were narrowed as the golden chains tightened around her neck.

 _ **Cursed Soul of Empress**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 10 / 4000 ATK / 0 DEF**

A moment later, the golden chains floating around the empress encased her like a cocoon and tightened far too much for anyone to survive. The chains separated as shards of the woman fluttered out, but remained on the field. One of them whipped the green-haired witch, and the girl returned _Cursed Soul of Witch_ to her hand.

"What in the…?"

The girl wagged her finger at her opponents. " _Cursed Soul of Empress_ doesn't really like it when I don't Fusion Summon her normally. She destroys herself and sends any other monsters I control back to my hand. _Buuuut_ in exchange, I gain permanent control of as many monsters as I want."

Everyone except Yuto gasped in horror.

"Oh, and it looks like there are _just_ enough for me to take," she continued, her grin even wider.

The golden chains still hovering above her shot off in different directions, each one binding a different monster on the field and dragging them to her side no matter how much they struggled.

Reizo found himself staring down at his own monster, and the one he considered his ace. _This_ was what she was going to do the whole time?! No wonder she was confident in her victory. The only way they were coming back from this was a _massive_ stroke of luck, and considering their last turns, that was unlikely. But still… "I activate—"

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, _Rank-Up-Magic - Synchronized Force_!"

All eyes went to Yuto, once again in shock. For the ones that knew Yuto's cards by heart, it was because that card was _definitely_ not one they recognized.

And for the girl from Fusion… "But… you don't control any Xyz Monsters!"

The chains around _Dark Rebellion_ rattled. The dark Dragon thrashed against them while the girl paled, her eyes narrow.

"There's no way… I _took_ your monster, how can you…?"

"When my opponent controls a Synchro Monster, I can target and Rank Up one DARK Xyz Monster on the field, regardless of control," Yuto explained, still monotone.

"Wait—when she controls a _Synchro_ Monster?!" Reizo exclaimed. Something was very, _very_ wrong. The only cards in this Dimension that had anything to do with Synchros were in _his_ possession, _definitely_ not Yuto's. Not to mention that Rank-Up Xyz Change did _not_ exist in Standard. This card _should not_ exist.

Shun looked at Reizo. "Then you don't know where the card came from either?"

Reizo shook his head.

" _Synchronized Force_ …" Kaito muttered, before both his eyes widened in horror. "That _has_ to be the source of the state Yuto's in! But why…? Who gave him that card?"

The golden chains around _Dark Rebellion_ shattered, vanishing almost immediately. Then the dragon dropped into a blood-red galaxy, along with the three lights that had been orbiting it.

" _Dragon of pitch-black darkness, unleash your black scale of wrath on the world! Tear down everything in your path! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Come forth, Rank 5! Dragon whose fangs hunger for bloodshed! Darkrage Rebellion CXyz Dragon!"_

The first part out of the galaxy was the dragon's head, pure black aside from its eyes and fangs. Its eyes glowed silver—just like Yuto's—while its massive, bloodstained fangs jutted out from the base of its jaw. Above each eye there was a horn elongated backwards.

After the rest of its long, black neck came the dragon's torso and wings. The violet spheres that had adorned the previous dragon's wings now resided as a cluster over its heart. Red lines trailed along its scales, outlining the blades of its wings. The wings were shaped the same as _Dark Rebellion's_ , but electricity filled the gaps between each segment—violet for the left wing, silver for the right.

The dragon's tail swished around, revealing the three violet spikes at its tip.

 _ **Darkrage Rebellion CXyz Dragon**_ **: DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 5 / 2800 ATK / 2000 DEF**

The dark-haired girl took a step back. "O-Okay, _that_ isn't fair. _He_ never said the Dragon had a card like this…!"

A shadowy aura clung to the boy with glowing eyes as he walked forward. "Death… to all in my path…" He stopped, standing just at the center of the other Duelists, and stared up at his dragon. "I activate the effect of _Darkrage Rebellion CXyz Dragon_! By detaching all Xyz Materials from it, I can target one Level 5 or higher monster my opponent controls, and all of us take damage equal to half its ATK!"

"B-But that would mean…!" The girl's eyes widened in horror. "You'd sacrifice your own comrades to beat me?"

Reizo wasn't sure about Shun, but there was no way he or Kaito were falling to this effect. He had _Hallowed Life Barrier_ and Kaito had _Kuriphoton_. They would be—

"Cards and effects cannot be chained to this effect," Yuto continued. As he pointed at the monster that rightfully belonged to Reizo, his dragon spread its wings. The lightning around them danced around the field, and actually began torching the concrete. Where it struck a nearby building, the roof _caught on fire_.

Every bone and muscle in Reizo's body said to _run_. Yet something kept him in place. "This… isn't good…" he muttered. But it was just one more _impossible_ thing to add to this day—Yuto's card inflicting real damage.

"Yuto… what are you doing?" Shun asked.

Ruri shied away, holding her shimmering bracelet. "Th-This is _bad_ guys, we need to get out of here!"

"But—Yuto!" Kaito shouted, trying to get his son's attention. "Whatever's possessing my son, _give him back_ and _stop this_!"

The dragon above Yuto lashed out with its tail, striking the blond right across the chest. He flew almost ten feet before crashing back down on the pavement, rolling into the wall of the same building whose roof had caught on fire. The blue tattoo around his eye disappeared, and his clothes shifted back to black. He did not get back up.

Ruri screamed, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Burn everything to ashes, _Darkrage Rebellion_!" Yuto shouted, his eyes still ablaze. " _Vengeance Discharge_!"

The world turned red. Reizo vaguely felt himself soaring through the air just like Kaito had, and then his head hit something hard and his world turned to darkness.

 **?'s Life Points: 1000 - 2800/2 → 0. Kaito's Life Points: 1000 - 2800/2 → 0. Shun's Life Points: 1100 - 2800/2 → 0. Reizo's Life Points: 1400 - 2800/2 → 0. Yuto's Life Points: 2400 - 2800/2 → 1000.**

* * *

A soft golden light from her bracelet perfectly encased the girl with deep violet hair. The violent red electricity discharged from the raging dragon danced harmlessly across it before dissipating completely, and then the barrier disappeared but the glowing didn't quite stop.

Neither did Ruri's screams.

Her brother had not been knocked flying like Kaito and Reizo had; Shun had wrapped himself around Ruri to shield her from the blast, and the golden barrier her bracelet had produced had not offered the teenager any protection whatsoever. He took the full force of the blood-red lightning—and somehow, just like Naomi and the Obelisk Force made their cards real, so too did Yuto in the mad state he was in.

Shun's grip on his sister slipped, and he pitched forward next to her, not saved from landing face-down on the asphalt because Ruri was too stunned to react in time. The back of his coat and the shirt underneath it were both singed, and the exposed skin underneath was a raw red mixed with patches of black. Shun twitched almost involuntarily a few times, before he quit moving _entirely_.

"N-NII-SAN!" Ruri screeched with what little air hadn't been sucked out of her from shock, scrambling to lift him up.

He wasn't breathing.

 _He's not breathing!_

"N-No… please, no…!" He had to be okay, Shun was the strongest person ever and Yuto couldn't have… couldn't have…!

"De… _struc_ …tion…" the monotone voice of Yuto muttered above her. The girl from Fusion had taken up his attention for only a minute as he had _Darkrage Rebellion CXyz Dragon_ repeatedly stomp on her until her Duel Disk had whisked her away in a flash of blue sparkles. He hadn't been released from the crazed state after her disappearance; instead, he'd turned back to the people that he called his friends. He glowered down at Ruri, eyes shining coldly. "I will… destroy the world… leave nothing behind…"

Ruri looked up at her childhood friend through tear-filled eyes as she clung to her older brother. "Yuto… h-how…" She set her brother down, choking back a sob as he still wasn't breathing (but he _had_ to be okay). " _How could you do this_?!"

She slapped the boy across the face, and two things happened.

The first was that her bracelet glowed brighter than it had before, a frantic yellow instead of the calming gold.

The second was that as soon as the glow stopped, so did the glow in Yuto's eyes… and he toppled over like a marionette with its strings cut.

Ruri stood there frozen for only a moment, staring at her bracelet. It… had something to do with the state Yuto was in, didn't it? But it was just a bracelet that she'd had for as long as she could remember… it hadn't done anything like _this_ before, and she'd been around Yuto _forever_. Why now…? And _how_?

…But that wasn't what mattered now. Yuto, Reizo, and Kaito were unconscious, she had no way to defend herself, and Shun was…

…Shun was…

… _alive._

He was sitting up now, coughing profusely as he tried to catch his breath. His back might still be torched to a near crisp, but he was _alive_.

Ruri would worry about the miracle later. Her brother was _alive_ —that's all that mattered. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder… for everything that had happened that day.

* * *

"…Thank… goodness…"

A girl standing in the shadow of a building, out of the sight of the people that had just gone through _hell_ , clasped her hands to her chest as she sighed with relief, and sank down with her back to the wall. Each of her breaths sounded pained, and her skin was pale and clammy.

"…I didn't know… he would do that…"

Rolling back her sleeve, she stared at the mark on her arm. The symbol of her powers, and her curse. It burned brightly, draining some of her life away—the price for interfering as she had.

"…but at least… they're okay…"

With that, the girl's head lolled to the side, her eyes shut. The irregular rise and fall of her chest was the only thing that could prove she was still alive.

For the young woman in the alley with her, that was enough. She sighed, brushing her golden hair out of her eyes as she lifted her little sister up onto her back. The girl subconsciously nestled her head into the woman's shoulder, smiling in her rest. The woman almost shook her head.

"You're too nice for your own good, Natsumi. One of these days, your kindness is going to kill you," the golden-haired woman said to the unconscious girl on her back.

She stopped, looking back at the scene.

 _Tenjo Yuto… and Kurosaki Ruri…_

She prayed that the two stayed close for the rest of their days, especially during the invasion meant to separate the two. Her bracelet was the only thing that could keep the Dragon's inner darkness at bay…

… _I should stay. If Academia gets their hands on the girl…_

…

 _No, Natsumi's safety comes first. I have to get her home first._

…

 _Hah… who knew that_ home _would ever be a better place for us to go…?_

The two sisters disappeared in a flash of red light.

* * *

 **A/N: Like I would actually kill my third favorite character from this series so early in the story.**

 ***Cough***

 **Anyways yeah. That just happened. Will you get any answers, any time soon? Time will tell.**

… **Remember the girl from Fusion though. She's going to be very important come the Synchro Arc.**

 **This is DEFINITELY the last rapid update though guys. I have successfully murdered all of my free time for the rest of this week because I have band camp and work and yeah.** _ **I couldn't resist the update… even though chapter 13 went up just yesterday…**_

 **I'm glad you're enjoying this though. Please drop a review~!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards from this chapter:**

 _Bane of Cursed Souls_

Continuous Trap

Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Cursed Soul" monster you control; destroy it.

 _Cursed Soul of Emperor_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 9

2 "Cursed Soul" monsters

Effect: Your opponent takes all battle damage you would have taken from battles involving this card. When this card is destroyed by a card effect: Special Summon 1 "Cursed Soul of Empress" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _Cursed Soul of Empress_

DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect

Level 10

3 "Cursed Soul" monsters

Effect: If this card is Special Summoned, except by Fusion Summon: Destroy this card immediately (this effect cannot be negated). When this card is destroyed: Return all monsters you control to the hand, then take control of as many monsters your opponent controls as possible.

4000 ATK

0 DEF

 _Cursed Soul of Witch_

DARK Fiend/Effect

Level 4

Effect: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon it, then inflict 1000 damage to both players.

0 ATK

0 DEF

 _Rank-Up-Magic - Synchronized Force_

Quick-Play Spell

Effect: Activate only if your opponent controls a face-up Synchro Monster. Target 1 face-up DARK Xyz Monster on the field; Xyz Summon, from your Extra Deck, one DARK Xyz Monster that is one Rank higher than that monster, using it as the Xyz Material (this Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon).During either player's turn, if this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish this card; target 1 face-up Synchro Monster on the field and 1 Xyz Monster you control, attach the first target to the second as Xyz Material. You cannot activate other Spell/Trap Cards the turn you activate this card, and you can only use one effect of "Rank-Up-Magic - Synchronized Force" per turn.

 _Darkrage Rebellion CXyz Dragon_

DARK Dragon/Xyz/Effect

Rank 5

4 Level 5 monsters

Effect: This card cannot be destroyed in battle with Level 5 or higher monsters. If this card has "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" as an Xyz Material, it gains the following effect:

During either player's turn: You can detach all Xyz Materials attached to this card; target 1 Level 5 or higher monster your opponent controls, then inflict damage to both players equal to half its ATK.

2800 ATK

2000 DEF

 _Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World_

DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect

Level 8

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters

Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.

ATK: 2600

DEF: 1800

* * *

 _A familiar face comes to Ruri's aid, leading her and her friends to the makeshift hideout for those fleeing the Fusion invaders. While there, she meets with a woman that has unsettling news about Naomi…!_

 _Next time: Wavering Resolve_


	16. Chapter 15: Wavering Resolve

" _Hey, Father… we're home."_

…

" _She wouldn't listen to me… Natsumi used her powers to let one of the boys she'd befriended in Heartland save his father."_

…

" _It's safer for her here than in the Xyz Dimension now… as awful as that sounds."_

…

"… _Keep Natsumi here until she wakes up, then get her to hide out with our Commons friends. That should keep her out of Security's prying eyes…"_

…

"… _Yeah, I'm going back there. You know as well as I do that I can't keep my powers bottled up forever, not if I want to end up like Mother. Better for me to use them against people that deserve it…"_

…

" _I don't know if I'll be back. But, it was nice seeing you, Father. I… love you."_

…

"… _I don't have time to stay, just tell him I said hi."_

…

 **Chapter 15: Wavering Resolve**

Ruri did not cry for long—she couldn't, or else she'd be wide open to get attacked by an invader. Yuto, Reizo, and Kaito were all unconscious still, and her brother had slipped into unconsciousness once the pain from the burns on his back registered with his brain. She was, for all intents and purposes, alone in the middle of a warzone.

The violet-haired girl steadied herself with a few deep breaths, and dried her eyes on her sleeve. She couldn't sit around and do nothing.

 _First things first, I need to get Kaito away from that building._

The rain was doing nothing to stop the flames erupting from its roof— _Yuto's fault_ —and it could very well collapse at any time. Ruri hoped the others were far enough away that the potential building collapse wouldn't hurt them. Swallowing the sickly feeling in her throat, she scrambled over to the adult's side.

…She had no idea how she was going to move him without hurting him more. The blond man laid on his side, back pressed against the wall, with a trio of gashes across his chest, all bleeding profusely. _He wasn't just sent flying… the blades at the end of that dragon's tail must have…_ A shiver ran up her spine. _Yuto, what made you do_ this _to your own father…?_

Ruri shook her head fervently at the thought, her throat tightening, because just thinking about Yuto right now made her think of her brother, and that made her think of him _not breathing_ , and she needed to _focus_ right now, not worry herself to the point of collapse.

With trembling hands, she grabbed one of Kaito's arms. He didn't so much as flinch in response to her touch. She tightened her grip, and slowly tugged him away from the wall, to reposition him with his back to the ground. _That_ motion got a response, a cry of pain as his spine connected with the concrete, but he didn't wake up.

Ruri took another deep breath, her eyes pinched shut.

… _I-I can do this. I have to._

"…You're a piece of work, Kaito."

Ruri cried out in surprise, spinning around at the new voice and jumping back. She hit the wall harder than she expected to, knocking several bricks loose. Her eyes wide with fear, she just about clung to it as support—until she realized who it was standing before her.

Pale blue eyes belonging to a man with blond hair almost as long as hers stared back at her. He had red markings around his eyes—a vertical line above and a diagonal one underneath each one—and part of his hair flared out like a wing. He was wearing a dark-grey raincoat not even zippered up over a white shirt and pants. A golden necklace hung from around his neck, two jagged lines crisscrossing down from a pink stone, with golden wings extended around the stone as well.

She'd been over to Yuto's house more than enough to know who this was, and quickly bowed as an apology. "S-Sorry, Mizael-san! I—"

The friend of Yuto's father shook his head. "We're all on edge now, you were just being cautious," he replied, his gaze drifting down to Kaito's unconscious form. "…You go see if you see if you can wake up your friends, I'll take care of Kaito."

"O-Okay!" She spun on her heels, and ran over to Reizo first—she knew there was no way she'd be able to wake her brother, and Yuto wasn't actually injured. As long as she was away from that awful metallic scent…

Her friend from Standard—thankfully—wasn't bleeding at all. He just had a red welt starting to form under his hair, from where he'd collided with the ground. She shook Reizo a little. "Hey… Hey, Reizo? If you can hear me, please get up…"

Reizo's eyes twitched, and a massive groan escaped his lips. He peeled open one eye—slowly—and shut it almost immediately after wincing. "Ugh… my head…" He shifted around, pushing himself up with one hand, holding the side of his face with the other. He squinted at Ruri, teeth gritting in an attempt to hold back the pain. "Ruri, what—ngh!" His grip tightened on his face, and he doubled over.

* * *

Reizo knew as soon as he'd tried to open his eyes that _something_ was wrong. The headache he'd had on his first day at Heartland Duel School—and the other ones he'd gotten, when he'd met the people he recognized that he shouldn't—had _nothing_ on the one he had now. It felt like his skull had been split open, but it couldn't have because he was conscious.

And then he remembered _how_ he'd been injured in the first place. Yuto had gone _nuts_ during the Duel with that girl, and he'd almost _murdered_ them all. But now his friend was unconscious on the street… alongside Shun, whose back looked like it had seen _far_ better days. It was a sight so horrifying, he should have felt sick just _looking_ at… and yet, aside from his headache, he felt _nothing._

"…Yuto did that, didn't he?"

Ruri followed Reizo's line of sight, and bit the inside of her lip. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Nii-san, he tried protecting me from _Darkrage Rebellion's_ electricity." She started spinning her bracelet around her wrist. "He's such a reckless idiot… my bracelet, I don't know _how_ , but it was _already_ protecting me. He, he should've worried about himself more than me."

"…Mm…" What more could he say? The world was falling apart around them, and their friend had snapped under the pressure. "At least Shun's okay… right?"

"Yeah…"

Silence fell between them as neither one had any idea what to talk about. Ruri moved to _attempt_ to wake Yuto up, but violently shaking the boy did not provide _any_ response. The pink-eyed girl sighed, and then proceeded to mess with her bracelet again. Reizo stared at the ground in front of him, watching a puddle form to distract himself from darker thoughts.

Until…

"GAAAAH!"

Reizo's head snapped abruptly in the direction of the scream—it was _way_ too close and _way_ too familiar for comfort. Immediately, his eyes landed on Kaito's unconscious form, a blond man Reizo did not recognize knelt over him.

The unfamiliar man rolled his eyes, shaking away a few flames that danced around his hand. "It was either that or bleed to death, you big baby," he muttered to Kaito, before actually slinging the unconscious man over his shoulder. "Hey, Ruri, you wake your friends up?"

"Wha—?"

"Only Reizo," Ruri answered quickly, before leaning closer to the aforementioned boy. "That's Mizael, one of Kaito's friends," she whispered to him.

The alarm faded from Reizo's face. He should've known the stranger was at least an ally, the way he was talking to Kaito.

"Ah, well, better than not being able to wake _any_ of them," Mizael said, his gaze darting between the two unconscious boys. "I can carry Yuto as well, think you can handle Shun?"

Ruri went to respond, but a voice—one that both she and Reizo recognized—beat her to it. "There's no need for that. I can help."

The brown-haired, green-eyed man from school was back, his cloak a little bit tattered, though he did not look exhausted or hurt at all.

Reizo bit back a cry of pain as his already-aching head flared up in pain again for the umpteenth time that day. He'd had _enough_ of the headaches—and this man _insisting_ on getting close to him did _not_ help matters. "I thought I told you to _leave me alone_ ," Reizo hissed through his teeth. "Or did I not make it clear enough for you?"

"I'm not here to bother you, I just want to _help_ ," the man replied, emphasizing the last word. "Can't I at least do that?"

The violet-eyed boy looked away. He'd be stupid to turn down help… but the man's presence made it feel like someone was repeatedly banging him over the head with a hammer.

"…Um, y-you can help," Ruri answered in Reizo's place. "If you can carry my brother…"

"That'll be no problem at all. Your brother is…" He trailed off, staring at Yuto. Specifically, at his face. The man's emerald eyes widened in horror as his face paled, mouth half-open. Then he snapped his jaw shut, jumping back and covering his face with his hand. "There's no way…! …No, it's not _him_ ," he muttered to himself, shoulders sagging. "It's not him."

"What are you talking about, Suzaku?" Reizo asked, then immediately choked up. _Suzaku_. How could he have known that name if he wasn't Lelouch? But he, he couldn't be Lelouch, he was _Reizo_.

The man stiffened, and let his hand fall to the side. His curly brown hair blocked out his eyes for a moment. "You really…" He brought his head up, dead green eyes locking with Reizo's violet ones. "…aren't Lelouch."

Ruri gently elbowed Reizo's side. "I thought you said you didn't know him, but you know his name…"

"I—don't—"

"Kururugi Suzaku has been dead for years. My name is K.K.," the brunette said, rather forcefully. "…We should get moving soon, standing around here for too long will only cause us trouble."

Mizael gave K.K. a long look, then turned away as he went to pick up Yuto. Carrying both Tenjo boys wouldn't be a problem at all. "Follow me, I know where everyone's been gathering."

* * *

As it turned out, the place where all the fleeing refugees of Heartland decided to gather in was what remained of the stadium. It was just a mass herd inside, with people screaming over the top of everyone else, trying to find their loved ones. Outside of the stadium, their strongest Duelists were trying to drive back the Obelisk Force. In the haste to get inside to relative safety, Ruri had only had enough time to recognize one of the Duelists—Tsukumo Yuma—enough to make her miss a step and nearly fall. She'd completely forgotten about Tadashi, was _he_ alright?

Once inside, Ruri grabbed hold of Reizo's hand and her brother's limp one, trying to stick together with who she knew rather than get swept away by the crowd. K.K. seemed to know where he was going, and soon enough they found themselves at a quickly constructed barrier made out of debris. On the other side appeared to be the most injured, some laid right on the grass, others on torn-up sheets or some pillows. A bunch of uninjured people were going through the maze of bodies, trying to treat them the best they could. Several looked like they had come directly from a hospital, still dressed in scrubs.

One such person dressed in light teal-colored scrubs came up to them. The woman had long, dark-blue hair, her bangs a lighter shade, and pink eyes the same shade as Ruri's. Around her collar, she'd tied a red ribbon, off of which hung a stout but stylized dark purple fleur-de-lis, a pink gem set in its center. She also had a necklace with a small grey ring attached to it hung from her neck, and a gold wedding ring on her left hand.

"Only the injured can—oh my," the woman—Kamishiro Rio—said, catching sight of Shun's back and both of the males that Mizael carried. "Is that, Kaito?"

"Yeah, it is," Mizael answered, stepping forward. "I found him bleeding out in the street, I did what I could to stop it though."

The blue-haired woman motioned for someone to come help, getting a man to come over and take Kaito from Mizael. During the switchover, everyone got a good look at Kaito's chest—the skin was a bright red and twisted up awfully bad, like his entire front had been put into a fire. The woman narrowed her eyes at the three gashes still slightly visible through the burnt skin. "You cauterized his wounds, then? You probably saved his life." Turning her attention back to Shun, her lips tightened into a slim frown. "What happened to him?"

"Oh—I don't know. I showed up after everything went down, I was just trying to help them," K.K. said, since it looked like the woman expected an answer from him.

"There was a Duel…" Ruri said, and the image of Yuto trying to destroy everything surfaced in her mind. She forced it down, and continued, "Nii-san was just trying to protect me. He, he'll be alright, won't he?"

"Your brother, huh…?" Rio took Shun from K.K., then looked at Ruri and smiled. "He'll be alright, I'm sure of it."

Ruri sighed in relief, if Rio said that he would be okay, then it really would turn out alright. "Thank you…"

That had all happened about an hour ago. The fear-stricken crowd had relatively calmed down, everyone that had found who they were looking for sitting in clusters, while the ones by themselves sat and wept or walked around aimlessly. Ruri was part of the latter group, pacing aimlessly around the maze of refugees. She had _not_ been injured, but Reizo had been taken back to get his head looked at—just in case—while she'd told Mizael and K.K. about how they'd left Dennis, Allen, and Sayaka back at school. All Ruri could do now was pray that nothing had happened to them after they'd split up…

She looked around for… she wasn't sure anymore. Her parents, maybe? They would've both been at work at the start of this, had they gotten to safety? Anyone she recognized would be nice… but she wasn't sure if anyone from her school had even made it to safety. There had been so many flashes of purple light before K.K. showed up to help…

"Excuse me, you're Kurosaki Ruri, right?" a young woman's voice said from behind her, as a hand rested on her shoulder.

Ruri turned around, a split second of alarm sending adrenaline through her system, which she forced away immediately, no one in here was dangerous. The woman that had come up behind her had golden hair with silvery-white bangs, said bangs covering the left side of her face. She wore a jacket that matched her hair, and dark jeans along with sneakers. Her one golden eye that Ruri could see looked back at her with a hint of sorrow in it.

"Ah—you're Dusk, aren't you?" Ruri had never met Naomi's sister, but the two had similar faces, and the same eyes too. It wasn't that far of a stretch.

"I am," the woman nodded. "You… are one of Naomi's friends, yes?"

"…Y-Yeah, but…" Ruri looked away, remembering what Mimi had done when the masked Duelists had cornered them in the hallway. _Especially_ what she'd done to Dennis and Sayaka. "There was an, um, incident—"

"My sister is dead."

"—she kinda flipped and—" Dusk's words clicked, and all color drained from Ruri's face. "W-Wait, _what_?!"

Dusk closed her eye, pained, as she held out a Duel Monster card. It was blank, aside from the image of a very injured Naomi plastered where a monster's image should have been.

Ruri covered her mouth with both hands and sank to her knees.

"N-No… Mimi…!"

* * *

 **A/N: …So then, that all happened.**

 **Headcanons abound for the ZEXAL characters, obviously. (Side note, Ruri and Mizael know each other because they both hang out at the Tenjo house a lot, whereas Ruri only knows Rio because Rio's been on TV with her brother a few times, Ryoga having become a professional Duelist.)**

 **Oh, and there's actually TWO reasons Su—*ahem* K.K.—reacted like that to seeing Yuto. Good luck guessing either of them.**

 **I hope you still liked this chapter, thanks for being patient with me about it. Please leave a review telling me what you think!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Heartland continues to fall all around them, as its citizens start falling into a rhythm of how to fight back against the invaders. But an overlying sense of despair has set in…_

 _Next time: Days of Darkness_


	17. Chapter 16: Days of Darkness

"… _Nn… morning, Papa…"_

…

"… _W-Wait…!_ PAPA _?! What are you doing in Heartland?!"_

…

" _I'm… back in the City? But—I—"_

…

" _Oh… I-I used my powers there. I hurt my friends… that's why…"_

…

"…"

…

" _C-Can't I go back? I need to—I need to apologize to them!"_

…

" _But Papa—"_

…

"… _Okay… I understand…"_

…

 **Chapter 15: Days of Darkness**

"…H-How did it, happen?"

The blue-haired nurse—Rio, she'd called herself—had insisted that Reizo stayed with the injured for the first night, simply because they didn't have enough people on hand to get to him right away, and he wasn't nearly as injured as any of the people lying around him. He'd been awake—how could _anyone_ even _sleep_?—when Mizael and K.K. had come back, both of them carrying Sayaka while Allen made sure Dennis didn't fall.

It was a relief that those three had been relatively alright—Sayaka had actually woken up, with nothing worse than a concussion, and while Dennis _had_ lost a lot of blood, his arm was going to be fine.

But this. As soon as Reizo had been certified to _not_ have a concussion or any other sorts of head trauma other than a nasty bruise, he'd left the section of the injured to look for Ruri and Allen. He'd found them… Ruri looking as if she'd cried the whole night and Allen in a state of shock.

He'd been about to ask what was wrong when Dusk had shown him the card that now held the body and soul of Naomi inside it.

Dusk's eye shut, and her hands were trembling ever so slightly. "My sister is—" her breath hitched, "— _was_ … different from almost everyone alive, just like I am. We've been called everything from freak to witch to _monster_. The technical term is Psychic Duelist."

 _Psychic… Duelist?_

"Psychics have the power to grant Duel Monsters flesh and blood. It's similar to the feature Obelisk Force has in their Duel Disks, only it's far more potent and dangerous. Those Duel Disks have limiters, and only grant mass to the holograms. Psychics grant them real flesh and blood… and there is no way to limit it _at all_. It's thanks to this that nearly everyone sees us as inhuman _monsters_ that want to murder everyone in our paths."

At that, Reizo narrowed his eyes. "I've Dueled her before, nothing happened then."

"She uses 'Madolches' because they don't hit hard like other monsters; also, you were fighting in an Action Field, which would have masked her powers quite nicely," Dusk answered. She folded her arms over her chest. "It's not fair. Because of our powers, we can't Duel very easily without hurting someone, but we can't keep our powers just bottled up—they'd just tear us apart from the inside, like what happened to our mother."

Silence passed between the four.

"…So, Naomi had these, powers. How could she have been—been—" Ruri's voice cracked before she could finish.

"She exhausted herself in the, incident you described to me. That would have left her almost defenseless…" At that, Dusk herself choked up, and she slammed her fist into the wall next to them. She fought back tears, but failed. "My sister… was always so cheerful… even though _monsters_ like us have no _right_ to be _happy_ … I… I should have been there for her. Why did she have to—why couldn't I have— _Naomi_ …"

The woman's broken cries joined those of the others around them.

* * *

On the third day of the invasion, Yuto woke up screaming.

It happened when Ruri and Reizo were trying to visit Dennis and Sayaka and Shun, since they weren't allowed to leave the injured side yet. Dennis had been in the middle of a card trick, attempting to entertain everyone like he usually did. He was about to flip over a card when the younger boy jolted up from the blanket on which he laid and _screamed_.

The few injured plus the children that had gathered around to watch Dennis' trick recoiled, the children hiding behind their parents—or their hands, if they were alone. The second Yuto had started screaming, Reizo froze in alarm. It was _just_ like how he'd screamed during their Duel with the Fusion Duelist, right before he'd attacked _everyone_. Ruri had, a different reaction.

"Yuto!" she cried, running over to his side immediately. Her bracelet _wasn't_ shining this time—she was _fairly_ convinced that it meant Yuto wasn't going to go crazy this time, and while she _couldn't_ forget about what he did, Yuto was _still_ her friend, and she couldn't just let him panic like this. So she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, whispering that everything was alright.

He shook in her grasp, trembling so violently that Ruri had to tighten her hug to keep him in place. But slowly, Yuto's screams stopped. Now he just gasped for air from screaming for so long, tears falling down his face.

Ruri let go of him.

Yuto dried his eyes on his sleeve, then looked around fervently for someone. "Dad… where's my dad?" he asked. His voice was raw.

As he said that, Kaito's voice snapped from nearby, "Let _go_ of me! I need to see my son!"

While Rio's voice retorted, "Sit back _down_ , Kaito! You're _going_ to tear your wounds back open!"

The panic that had been on Yuto's face ever since he woke up faded, replaced with sheer _relief_ upon hearing his father's voice. He scrambled to his feet, wobbled briefly, then ran over to where Rio had forced his father to sit down. He froze when he saw the bandages—stained red—that crisscrossed over his father's chest, exposed because while he wore his usual coat, he did not have it zipped nor was he wearing a shirt. "D-Dad…? Wh-What happened to you?"

An unreadable expression made its way onto Kaito's face, no doubt because _Yuto_ was the one to cause his injuries, yet the boy didn't remember. "I'm alive, aren't I? You don't have to worry about me."

The tears welled back into Yuto's eyes, and he nodded, blinking some of them away. "Y-Yeah. You're alive," he whimpered through his tears. Then he couldn't contain himself any longer, and he collapsed, crying, on his father's lap, holding tightly onto his arm, because Yuto couldn't just hug his dad without hurting him.

Kaito shifted around, then clasped a hand over his son's. He really wasn't sure what to do—Yuto always went to Droite when he was upset. But… Kaito had heard from Rio, most of their former allies and friends had fallen to the invaders, trying to protect everyone that couldn't fight. It was assumed, by now, that anyone who wasn't in the stadium or fighting to protect it had died or been turned into a card. Droite was nowhere to be found… and no one had seen Haruto either. The very thought that his wife and his little brother could have been killed while he was unable to do anything…

…no, he couldn't think about that now. His son was here _now_ , and he'd be damned if he let Yuto stay upset like this. "Yuto, it's alright, you don't need to cry…"

The boy just clung to his arm even more. "I-I know… but I just can't…" He sniffled. "Dad… p-promise me you won't die."

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Yuto… of course. I'm not going to die any time soon."

A sad smile appeared on Yuto's face. "That's good…"

* * *

By the fifth day, what limited supplies they'd had to begin with were almost completely out. People were starving, bandages were replaced with torn-up clothes, and what water they still had was limited to drinking only. It was because of this that others were forced to step up and _fight_ while the Duelists that had been guarding the stadium relentlessly either rested or went to raid stores for supplies.

It would be by the seventh day that the adults unwillingly allowed teens to join in the fight, so desperate were they for more help and so desperate those teenagers wanted to survive. It was really telling of how bad a situation they were in, that _children_ had to be sent to war. Of course, these _children_ also had a very _different_ idea than the adults in what they raided from stores. They still grabbed what food and clothes they could, but they also brought back cards and Duel Disks, to help arm those that couldn't fight but wanted to.

It was thanks to this that Ruri was able to assemble most of the Deck she'd lost when her locker was destroyed. A few of her cards had been so rare they weren't in any of the packs that the teens brought back, but she could make do without them. …But, she really wished she didn't have to fight—all of them wished that. This wasn't what Duel Monsters was supposed to be for…

By the eleventh day, they'd created some sort of united force against Fusion. Simply titled the Resistance, members wore strips of red cloth as identifiers, and when they weren't keeping an eye out on any new soldiers, they were training. Anything to make the battles easier. Some of the younger kids also joined in on the training—Yuto, Reizo, Ruri, and Allen included—though they were not permitted to leave the relative safety of the stadium.

A rhythm had been set by then. Get what little sleep you could. Train. Maybe have something for breakfast. Shuffle around a patrol if you were older, train harder if you weren't. Get something for lunch if you didn't have breakfast. More training. Help out wherever you could—the number of injured just kept growing, so many children were learning how to properly treat wounds or they would bring water around for the scant few doctors and their patients. Dinner was the only guaranteed meal, though some would skip it so that others could eat, as the portions were hardly enough to be _called_ a meal. Then more training. Rinse and repeat.

Despite all of this, there were a few that tried keeping smiles on people's faces. Dennis was the biggest—in memory of Sakaki Yusho, who'd been last seen holding off the Obelisk Force while others fled—entertaining anyone he could with his card tricks and his illusions. With his arm still in a sling, Ruri would always go out of her way to help him as a distraction from the situation they were all in, and as a comfortable but melancholic reminder of the past.

…But all they could _really_ do was just try to stay alive.

An eerie calm surrounded the entire stadium on the twentieth day, all the Obelisk Force having withdrawn from around it. There were no signs of them for a full week, and during that time the Resistance was on edge more than ever, always watching for a renewed attack they knew had to come at _some_ point.

Rumors about what happened on the twenty-seventh day floated about afterwards, since _everyone_ saw the explosion just outside the stadium, _everyone_ heard the screams, but _no one_ had seen the exact cause. The only detail they knew was that Dusk had left the stadium just before it happened, and had to be carried back after the explosion.

She woke up a day later, a soulless look in her eyes despite the smile on her face.

"We really are just… _monsters_ …"

* * *

There was no real proof of others having survived the invasion, but there were a few that were _convinced_ that there were other survivors in the ruined city. They needed _something_ to hope for in order to cope with the world falling down around them.

K.K. was one of a handful that actually _knew_ there were other survivors. They were hiding out in a place he was pretty sure was called the Duel Lodge, secluded in a forest on the top of a steep hill. A place much easier to defend than the old stadium, and so far away that there was no way for the two groups to communicate… unless you were an immortal that had no fear of death, no fear of being turned into a card— _(because someone had tried that, and his Code had burned until the soldier's Duel Disk exploded in recoil)_ —like he was.

He hadn't told anyone in the stadium about the Duel Lodge. It was for the best they didn't know—inside the stadium, it was safe. Academia had not tried attacking them directly since the _massacre_ against their soldiers a month ago, but they remained scattered throughout the city, attacking anyone out scavenging for supplies. There was just no way to guarantee their safety if they tried getting to the Duel Lodge… and he was just one person, he couldn't protect _everyone_.

His _own_ life, he could protect. Though the command that drove him to live had faded the moment his Code had activated six—nearly seven—years ago, that Code was now a curse that _forced_ him to live.

 _(Even though he wanted so much to throw it all away—he'd ruined everything time and time again.)_

K.K. ran a hand through his hair, dragging the curls away from his eyes. _I should cut it_ , he mused. _Or at least tie it back somehow. It keeps getting in my eyes._ Letting it fall back down, he poked his head around the corner of the wall he was crouched behind. Two Obelisk Force soldiers stood in the center of the road, one of them complaining about not finding any "Xyz scum" to turn into cards, and the other agreeing that it was boring just standing around with no one to fight.

 _Only two. I can handle this._

Yet he didn't move.

For the two months that the invasion had been going on, all K.K. could think of was how _much_ this paralleled Britannia's invasion of Japan. Instead of Knightmare Frames, they used _Ancient Gear_ monsters. Instead of slaughtering everyone with bullets, they turned their victims into cards. But everything else… it was almost the _same_. It was so similar that K.K. almost expected to turn around and find Lelouch, with Nunnally on his back, waiting until it was clear for them to run to another hiding place.

He sighed, shaking his head. _That's all in the past… I shouldn't think about this. Think about something else. Think about… Euphy._ His heart tightened in his chest. His princess had gotten another chance at life just like Lelouch… and she was caught in the middle of this war, as an Italian native by the name of Aria Fiore. He'd secured her safety at the Duel Lodge once Reizo had—very forcefully—sent him away.

Her safety, and that of her two younger sisters.

He shuddered at the thought, forcing back terrifying memories of when the _one_ reason he had left to live was torn away from him. Those two little girls he'd _not_ been expecting to see when he went to help Eup— _Aria_ —had _almost_ been too much to bear.

The emerald-eyed young man poked his head around again, noting that the two soldiers had left. For just a moment longer, he remained behind the wall, just to be _sure_ he was not found. Seeing no one, he stood to move—only for someone behind him to tug on his cloak.

His instant reaction was to jump back, fluidly moving his Duel Disk into position. He lowered it as soon as he realized who was the one that was behind him, though the look on his face didn't soften. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, Reizo." To say nothing of the fact that Reizo was not supposed to be out of the stadium.

The violet-eyed boy pursed his lips, his expression otherwise unreadable. "I thought so too… at least, back when this invasion first started. We… we need to talk."

* * *

 **A/N: I admit, that middle scene isn't as good as it could've been… but honestly, it would've just been repeated "edgy war stuff", which is why I opted to summarize it instead.**

 **That K.K. POV scene was about as spontaneous as the Yusho flashback from chapter 9, though. I mean, I had to bridge into Reizo talking to him** _ **somehow**_ **, and so that happened. I like how it turned out.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter regardless! Please leave a review telling me what you thought about it!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Reizo has come to terms with the fact that he was Lelouch once, and learns a different truth he hadn't been expecting. Some time later, he and Yuto have snuck away from the others, only to find…!_

 _Next time: Power of the King_


	18. Chapter 17: Power of the King

" _Have you heard from Rio or Mizael? Has anything changed down there?"_

…

"… _I know, I just, can't help but worry about them…"_

…

" _Hah, that sounds like something Kaito would do. What about Yuto?"_

…

"… _It's probably better that he doesn't remember what happened, then. At least he's doing better…"_

…

" _No, that's all I needed. I'm supposed to go on a supply run down in the city now. Thanks, Durbe."_

…

 **Chapter 17: Power of the King**

It had been a little over two months since the invasion started. And while most were worried about survival and their families… Reizo had other things on his mind.

It was clear that he had been in extreme denial ever since he'd first crossed paths with C.C. He'd met Kaiya, Aria, K.K., and that girl that looked like Marianne, and recognized them all despite never meeting them in _his_ life. Vivid flashes of what had to be Lelouch's memories were much more frequent now, amidst the invasion that was far too similar to the one Lelouch had lived through.

That was why he had snuck out of the stadium, following after K.K.—who was _also_ not supposed to be out that day, as he wasn't one of the scouts for that day. He wasn't surprised when K.K. had jumped away once he'd made his presence known, and certainly wasn't surprised when K.K. stared at him and said, "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, Reizo."

Reizo pursed his lips, tapping his finger on his elbow as he had his arms crossed. "I thought so too… at least, back when this invasion first started. We… we need to talk."

"You couldn't have just come up to me back in the stadium?"

"This isn't exactly a conversation I want others to overhear."

K.K.'s shoulders slightly shrugged. "You still should've told me first… ah, too late for that." He gave one last look around, then pressed his back to the wall and slid down into a comfortable sitting position. Then he gestured to the spot next to him, prompting Reizo to sit as well. They'd probably be there for a while. K.K. brushed his curls out of his eyes with a slight sigh, then glanced at Reizo. "Where do you want to start?"

That was a good question, and one Reizo had been thinking about for the past few months. There _was_ a lot he still didn't know, but at least he would finally get all or most of the answers he wanted. First things first, the thing that had been bothering him the most. "How did you and C.C. discover that I was—well, that Lelouch was reborn as me?"

The immortal stiffened, letting his curls cover his eyes rather than brushing them back. He exhaled, and showed off the bird-like tattoo marking his forehead. "You know, this Code binds me to the World of C, and it grants me passage there whenever necessary. You also know that the World of C is the physical manifestation of all the memories of the human race, as one big collective unconscious." Dropping his hand, he let the curls fall back into his eyes. "C.C. and I… we were looking through those memories one day, and happened to catch a glimpse of you in the middle of some tournament."

 _Okay, that's a completely logical explanation… but his reaction was definitely not._ "Okay, well why come here? Didn't Lelouch—didn't I entrust the mask and name of Zero to you? Weren't you supposed to—"

"I don't want to talk about it," K.K. interrupted, forcefully, the tone in his voice meant to suggest that was all he would say on the matter no matter how hard Reizo pressed for answers.

Reizo's eyes narrowed. "You said you'd answer all of my questions."

"No, I said we could _talk_. I never promised to answer _everything_ , and I… I just really don't want to talk about what happened. Please, Reizo. It, doesn't have anything to do with you."

The boy was outright scowling at that point; it had _everything_ to do with him, it was _his_ world once—the one he'd died trying to bring peace to. What had _happened_ there, to make Suzaku—to make K.K. want to hide things from him? Something _bad_ , obviously, but… but _what_? Was Nunnally safe? Kallen? Milly? Rivalz? Jeremiah? Sayoko?

Noticing the look on Reizo's face, K.K. sighed, flashing the Code upon his forehead again. "Do you know what it takes to _activate_ a Code, Reizo?"

He thought about it. Obviously it wasn't the moment someone with a fully-evolved Geass _obtained_ the Code, or else his utter shock after surviving the Zero Requiem was a lie—but he _felt_ that shock as if it was his own when he dreamed about that memory; it was definitely the truth. The Code granted immortality… constantly regenerating the Bearer's body where a normal human would have died…

The realization dawned on him in an instant, the thoughtful look giving way to disbelief.

… _That, that couldn't be…_

"You've, died before. That's what it took," Reizo muttered through his hand.

"Trying to protect the one person left that cared about, about Kururugi Suzaku." The dark look in his eyes grew even _darker_ , if that was possible. "The human body doesn't make a very good shield against pure energy, she still…" He coughed. "Anyways. That should give you enough of an idea of what happened."

 _Gone, then. Everyone in that world… everyone I left behind… they're gone. But… how…? And_ Nunnally… _!_

"…Natalia Fiore."

"Huh?"

"The reason I chose to come to _this_ Dimension, rather than remain in C's World or go somewhere else. Aria and her younger sisters, Celeste and Natalia. I failed all three of them in my world… back when I knew them as Euphy, Princess Cornelia, and Nunnally."

Reizo's mouth went dry, and he could have sworn his heart had lept to his throat. "She's—Nunnally is _here_?!" As was Cornelia, apparently, but he hardly remembered his older half-sister, unlike Nunnally whom he remembered in great detail—details that had driven him insane before he knew what those memories were. "But then—why haven't I seen her?" The only way Nunnally could be here, _alive_ , was if she was one of the refugees in the stadium, but all of the refugees knew each other— _none_ of the Fiore sisters were amongst them. "Don't tell me she…"

"All three of them are safe and sound at another refugee camp, up in the mountains at a place called the Duel Lodge. It's, too far a distance for anyone except me to cross safely, and is extremely secluded and hard for the Obelisk Force to attack."

At that, the boy visibly relaxed. His sister—sister _s_ — _not_ sisters—were all safe. And, another camp meant even _more_ people had survived—maybe the friends and family of the others Reizo knew at _his_ camp. "They're _alright_ … thank God… Is that where you were going?"

"It was," K.K. replied, immediately adding, "I'm not taking you there."

"Why not?!"

"For one, it's too dangerous. There's a reason I make these trips _alone_. For another, it's too late for the entire journey—and I don't want to make your friends panic when they realize you're missing come nighttime."

…Okay, he could concede to the second point. There was one day last week when Shun had been out several hours longer than he should have, and Ruri had _flipped_ until he came back totally fine. They'd _all_ been pretty worried when that happened.

But.

 _Nunnally_.

 _His_ little sister, who he'd dreamt of and cried for when he couldn't even remember her _name_ , who he'd thrown fits over when he was younger and didn't understand, who he'd had to go to _therapy_ for to convince him that she didn't exist. She was _real_ , she was _here_. He _had_ to see her, he just _had_ to. "Suz—K.K., please! I just, I have to—"

"She won't know you," the immortal said as he abruptly stood up, shaking out his legs. "None of them will." A forlorn, longing look appeared on his face. "Euphy— _Aria_ —she didn't recognize _me_ , and neither did her sisters. I know it's hard to accept but—"

" _Please_!" Reizo insisted, grabbing one of K.K.'s hands.

It was probably one of the worst ideas anyone could have, making physical contact with a Code Bearer that was under a lot of stress. Especially if that person happened to be attuned to Geass—or was, in the past.

He saw K.K.'s eyes widen as his Code flashed brightly and then—

* * *

 _Falling. He's falling. No, he's being dragged by tendrils of blue electricity into an endless abyss overlaying glowing green lines shaped like neurons. The farther he goes, the more colors are added to the neurons._

— _Until—_

 _There's a knife in his hand. He lets it go and stumbles back, seeing where the blade is—planted in the gut of a Japanese man he doesn't recognize but his blood is on his hands and he can't stop himself from screaming._

 _A flash._

 _Suddenly he's next to some canister—one for life support—in the belly of an airship. There's a hand in his—pale, too pale—and he sees the smiling face of Euphy before her hand falls and the machines flatline._

 _Another flash._

 _He's in a cave now, staring at—himself, older, dressed in the costume of Zero, the mask split in two at his feet. He's pointing a gun at this doppelganger and the doppelganger points one back as he screams words of hate and betrayal while the doppelganger begs him to save Nunnally._

 _A third flash._

 _His hands, trembling, are white against the controls he grips as though he'll die if he lets go. His eyes are wide at the destruction outside of his cockpit—glued to the violet light devouring a section of the Tokyo Settlement. It's_ his _fault, he knows it is, so many millions of lives ended because of this bomb he let go—and for what? To escape from_ her _alive?_

 _A fourth flash._

 _They're on a float now, Reizo holding the sword plunged into Lelouch's chest, tears dripping down his cheeks that no one can see behind his mask, the mask he solemnly accepts as his punishment for everything he's ever done. It's this that makes him realize—these are Suzaku's memories._

 _A fifth flash._

 _Lelouch stands across from him in an old farmhouse now, a hand at his throat. He's crying, but he's also smiling, and he says that he leaves the world in their hands before he suddenly has a knife in his hand and in the next moment lays dying at their feet. Suzaku does nothing, he can't, he has the burden of a Code now, but he supposes he still has some shred of humanity left if he's mourning his best friend for a second time. Reizo lingers at the scene a moment longer—he'd never seen_ this _before, the moment his life as Lelouch ended and his life as Reizo began and he isn't sure what to think._

 _A sixth flash._

 _The only thing he can think is—protecthershecannotdieprotectherprotecther. He's shielding someone as his own body burns, his flesh melted down far past his bone. Purple light, all around him. The red glimmer in his eyes goes out—he's dead, he knows it. And then he isn't anymore, his skin and bones and muscles regenerated by the mark blazing on his forehead. He's no longer holding anyone, and that scares him, because that couldn't be right, he'd shielded her—_

 _He moves, and finds the smell of burnt flesh coating his nostrils, and that he is lying over a burnt corpse—and he can faintly make out a few strands of hair, sandy-brown, unscathed by the energy beam that killed them. In the back of his mind, he knows who this is._

 _He throws up._

* * *

—he was on the ground, retching up the meager breakfast he'd had that day, and when that was gone, he still continued to heave, bile burning his throat as it came out. He'd known about most of those already, but, seeing everything through Suzaku's eyes—seeing Nunnally die and feeling exactly like he'd been there himself—that was too much.

At once, K.K. was by his side, though not touching him. "I—oh—I'm so sorry, Reizo. I didn't—I just—" His shoulders sagged and he sighed. "I didn't mean for you to see that. I'm sorry."

It took several more minutes before the nausea and the gagging stopped, leaving Reizo with a downright _bitter_ taste in his mouth. He dried up what he could on his sleeve, before turning to look at K.K. in a different light. He'd… never known just how _bad_ a life his friend had lived—he'd figured _some_ of it, but all of _that_ , it was…

 _All but two of those were directly my fault._ I _was the one that killed Euphy,_ I _was the one that continued fighting at the Tokyo Settlement even though Suzaku had warned me about the F.L.E.I.J.A. and I knew about his compulsion to live that_ I _forced on him,_ I _was the one that drove him to kill me, and later to take on a Geass in order to curse_ him _with the Code rather than myself._

"K.K… I'm… _I'm_ the one that's sorry. A lot of, _that_ , was because of me…"

Immediately, K.K. fervently shook his head. "No, no, that wasn't—I don't blame you for any of that. I chose my own path, and that was the cost."

"Still…"

The two went quiet, deep in their own thoughts.

It didn't matter if K.K. didn't blame him for it, and that Reizo still believed he was his own person, not just Lelouch, seeing _that_ still hurt so much. He'd thought his _own_ life in that world had been terrible, so terrible that he orchestrated his own death to fix it, but Suzaku—he'd carried the same burden if not _more_ since he'd forced the Code onto him.

 _I, I have to make this right. Somehow._

A thin smile appeared on his face a moment later. He knew what he had to do. And, provided it worked, it would also give him the upper hand against Fusion.

"K.K., I want to form a contract with you."

* * *

A month passed since the day Reizo convinced K.K. to give him Geass. By chance, it was still Absolute Obedience—but he couldn't use it on too many people at once or too frequently, as he'd found out the hard way when he'd been on his first patrol and ran into half a dozen Obelisk Force and ordered them all back to their own dimension, and had lost consciousness for nearly four hours as a result.

It was, hard, constantly living under the fear of each day possibly being his last—or that one of his friends would fall first. But the power that he held once again was, comforting, that he had a way to protect everyone if he had to. And everyone knew he _had_ that power—not that he would use it on any of _them_.

That was probably the reason why he found himself woken up at some odd hour of the night by someone prodding his side a few times. His eyes snapped open, extremely alert, only to see that it was only Yuto trying to wake him up, and he calmed back down, rubbing his eyes. "What, Yuto?"

"Sorry for waking you… but… um…" the boy fiddled with his thumbs for a moment, as though he couldn't think of what he wanted to say. "I'd, like your help with something. My dad, well, his birthday is tomorrow, and he hasn't been himself for, a while. I want to get him something…"

Reizo blinked a few times. People didn't celebrate birthdays in the middle of a _war_. But Yuto was so, _earnest_ about it. After a brief hesitation, he ended up saying, "So, what did you have in mind?"

"There used to be a candy shop on the other side of Heartland."

 _Candy? Didn't think Kaito-san would want that…_

"But, well, it's so far away, I can't go by myself, so I thought you could go with me. There's no _way_ anything will happen to us with your power," Yuto finished, and his eyes were wide to show how much he _really_ wanted this.

That was how Reizo found himself dragged across the entire city, to the candy shop that had—as Reizo expected—been demolished throughout the course of the war. And although they saw no one else as they darted through the streets, there was no guarantee that things would _stay_ that way on their way back, and the sun was beginning to creep up on the horizon. Their dark clothes and hair would have let them blend into the shadows at night, but during the _day_ , that was a different story.

"…We should head back, you're gonna have to find your dad another present," Reizo said.

Yuto narrowed his eyes at the ruined shop—and ducked through the half-collapsed doorway. "We came all this way, I'm _finding_ him something."

Reizo looked around—still no sign of anyone—and followed his friend in there, if only to chew him out for being an idiot. It didn't even look like there was anything _left_ in there but rubble. "Yuto, we really should get going, we can't risk our lives for some _candy_."

"This is _important_ ," Yuto retorted, attempting to lift a collapsed shelf. "I have to…!" His fingers slipped off the shelf and his momentum carried him backwards, but he caught himself before he fell. He just went back to it, attempting from a different angle, actually managing to lift it by a few centimetets… at the cost of dust falling from what remained of the roof as the debris shifted from the movement.

Reizo eyed the plaster and wood overhead, precariously still up there because sections of what had fallen were balanced _just_ right. "Uh, Yuto, I don't think you should move that too much, the roof is set to cave in any moment now… We should really get going…"

It didn't look like Yuto heard him though, as the grey-eyed boy dropped to the ground, using his Duel Disk as a flashlight to see what laid under the shelf. Reizo heard him shout, "I found it!", echoed by the metal around him, and several moments later, he pulls out… a bag of caramels, miraculously still in one piece, if a bit melted.

"You risked your life for some _caramels_ ," Reizo said incredulously.

Yuto looked as if he'd struck gold as he fit the bag into a pocket in his jacket. "These are more important than you think. My uncle was really sick when he was younger, and my dad would give him these to cheer him up, saying that they had a special power that would make him feel better. He told me the same thing whenever _I_ got sick, at least until I turned ten. So… so I want to make _him_ feel better now."

"Oh, I… see." He hadn't been expecting such a reason for Yuto's insistence in finding the candy. And… it stung a little. He didn't have anything special like that with _his_ brother or his parents. At least not in this life. "Well, I'm sure he'll love it. Let's hurry back before everyone wonders where we've gone."

"Right."

But as the two were about to leave, they found the doorway blocked by someone. They couldn't see her face, and her clothes didn't _look_ at all like any of the different uniforms Fusion soldiers wore—a pink blouse under a thick black coat to shield from the winter's cold, and black pants tucked into purple boots—but they hadn't survived for so long by letting their guards down, and so Yuto readied his Duel Disk while Reizo felt his Geass surge in his eye. If it was just one person, he wouldn't pass out after using it.

"Who's there?" Yuto demanded, his voice low in an attempt to make him sound a little older than he actually was.

The woman ducked down to look into the candy shop, her hand dragging a lilac-colored scarf off her face. Her amber-brown eyes were wary, but that immediately was replaced with disbelief and _joy_ as soon as she saw the two boys. "Yuto? It's, really you?"

"M- _Mom_?!"

* * *

 **A/N: So a whole lot happened this chapter. The stuff with K.K. didn't really come out of left field if you really paid attention to the few times he'd shown up before—particularly his POV last chapter—although once again I totally improvised an important flashback, that being the memory sequence. I think it turned out** _ **wonderful**_ **, and yes, the tense shift during it was on purpose.**

 **Reizo has Geass now, huh? It seems to be the same as Lelouch's, at least according to himself, with an added drawback of passing out if he uses it on too many people. I wonder if that's all there is to it…**

 **Also yay, Yuto's found his mom! And right in time for his dad's birthday! Forget the caramels (nice callback to ZEXAL though), Kaito getting reunited with his wife is totally gonna make him forget that Yuto snuck out without telling** _ **anyone**_ **.**

 **Anyways, we're closing in on the end of the arc now. As in there are three chapters left, all of which have been written already. I'll wait a few days before uploading them though.**

 **Fair warning, next chapter starts with about a full year of a time skip. The refugees in both camps now have a reliable way of communicating with each other, and some of them moved to the other camp (to be with their family or friends), and they work together to fight back Fusion.**

 **Anyways, I'm at a band competition right now, so it might be a little before I can reply to anyone, but please still leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Someone shows up in Heartland that Reizo hadn't been expecting. Their reunion is interrupted by an elite Fusion soldier that wields "Shaddolls"… How will they fare against a Deck that shuts down Special Summons?_

 _Next time: Reunion in Terror_


	19. Chapter 18: Reunion in Terror

" _It's finally time… I'm going to bring Reizo back."_

…

" _I have not foreseen any problems. With luck, I will be able to return within the hour."_

…

" _Oh, but, Mother, C.C.…"_

…

"… _No, I just wanted to, thank you both, for all your support."_

…

" _Since when have you doubted me? I_ will _come back safely. I just… wanted to thank you both_ now _. Is there something wrong with that?"_

…

 **Chapter 18: Reunion in Terror**

While on patrol, the Tenjos plus Reizo found themselves resting in the ruins of a building when loud footsteps started echoing from the street. The person could not be from Heartland—making so much noise was bound to draw the attention of the Obelisk Force. It was highly likely it was an elite from Fusion; they sometimes liked to make as much noise as possible to scare the hidden Xyz Duelists into revealing themselves.

In an instant, they all turned on their Duel Disks, but Kaito stuck his arm out to block both his son and Reizo. "We'll take care of this," he said. "You two stay here unless it's too dangerous."

Reizo complied, although he hated the fact that he had to hide when they fought. Yuto just asked them to be safe before they ducked out of the building.

The black-and-purple-haired boy sighed heavily and fiddled with his cards. His hands were on the verge of trembling, and the frown was evident on his face.

Reizo's eyes narrowed at his friend in concern. "…You alright, Yuto?"

He put his Deck back in its slot and shook his head. "Honestly… no. I've had a bad feeling for the past hour… and, and even though I know my parents can take care of themselves, I can't help but worry."

"…Mm." It was only natural to worry, Reizo couldn't blame Yuto for that. Truth be told, he'd also had a strange feeling all day… but he could always just be paranoid, considering they were fighting a war to stay alive every day. He noted that it was still quiet outside of the building; the battle hadn't started yet. Which was _very_ suspicious—Fusion _always_ started the battle as soon as they spotted their prey.

Carefully, Reizo peered his head around the wall. Kaito and Droite stood side by side about ten meters away, their Duel Disks still ready to be used. Five meters from them stood a grey-haired teen, all by himself, the lower half of his face covered with a red scarf to match his glasses. He wore a dark blue sweater and jeans, along with white shoes. He had a Duel Disk almost identical to Reizo's around his arm, but it was off.

A chill ran up Reizo's spine as his blood froze, and not because of the chill of winter. He took two steps out of the building and choked out, "Nii-sama?" as loudly as he could muster.

As the only sound in the square prior to that was the pitter-patter of a light drizzle, the grey-haired teen heard Reizo and snapped his head towards him. "Reizo?" he said.

Reizo nodded, tears welling up in his eyes that he willed away as he ran across the broken pavement. Finally… after over a year… "Nii-sama…!"

The two embraced in the middle of the square, Reizo burying his face in his older brother's shirt. Reiji smelled like _home_ , and it made the tears the younger boy was trying to keep bottled up flow freely down his face. Reiji lightly patted the back of his head, a thin smile on his face, hidden by the scarf.

The elder Akaba let go of his brother first, pulling his scarf off his face. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to find you, Reizo…"

Reizo sniffed, drying his eyes on his sleeve. "I-I missed you, nii-sama."

 _(Just like I missed Nunnally when she had been taken from me by V.V.)_

Reizo frowned at the memory; he'd never gotten a proper reunion with his little sister— _he'd spoken to her on the phone for such a brief time, then when they had met on the Avalon he was behind the mask of Zero while she was ignorant about his identity, then he had thought she was one of the many victims of the F.L.E.I.J.A. and threw away everything on the Zero Requiem, and he'd been too far gone for her appearing again_ alive _to change anything_ —and many parts of his life now perfectly paralleled Lelouch's.

Reiji ruffled Reizo's hair—a gesture of affection so rare the younger boy blinked in surprise, his troubling thoughts fleeing in an instant. "I missed you too," Reiji said.

Kaito walked up to them then, his Duel Disk turned off. "…You're Reizo's brother, not a member of Academia? Sorry for the misunderstanding."

Reiji shook his head, adjusting his glasses with two fingers. "You were merely being cautious. I can hardly blame you, given the…" He paused, observing the ruins around them. "…circumstances."

Kaito's eyes darken as he nodded once in agreement. "Mm. …I assume you plan to bring Reizo home with you?"

Right. The fact that Reiji had a way here meant Reizo finally had a way home. Back home, he wouldn't have to fight for his life on a daily basis, he wouldn't barely eat enough food to not starve, he wouldn't have to stay awake half the night or more worrying about when Fusion would strike next, and he would have his family back. But… home meant abandoning all his friends here in Heartland, home meant he wouldn't have to suffer anymore when everyone else here still had to, going home meant he would be a _coward_ condemning the weak he should be protecting. It was a dilemma he'd been mulling over since the start of the invasion, and he still didn't know what he wanted to do.

"That was my intention, yes," Reiji answered, "though it would only be temporary. I've been gathering the strongest Duelists in Standard, and as soon as they've been sufficiently prepared to fight Academia, we would come back to help drive off the invaders. Would that be acceptable, Reizo and…" He made a face, but the expression was unreadable. "I'm sorry, I never got your names."

"Kaito. Tenjo Kaito," the blonde said. Then he gestured to Droite, who'd gone to get Yuto, and introduced the two of them. "I think your plan makes sense… but are you sure that the Duelists from your dimension will be prepared to fight with their lives on the line?"

"I'm certain," Reiji replied immediately. "With Reizo's knowledge of the cards Academia uses, we should be fully prepared to aid the Resistance." As soon as he said that, he took hold of one of Reizo's hands. "But we have to go now, we'll come back as soon as we're prepared."

"Wha—nii-sama!" Reizo freed his arm from his grasp. "We can't just _leave_! I have friends that I have to—"

" _You_ have a mother that has been worried sick about you, and would very much like to see you _safe_ , and as I said just a moment ago, you're able to come back."

"But—"

"I can tell them what happened," Yuto piped in. "I'm sure they'll understand."

Reizo frowned; he'd _really_ prefer saying goodbye in person rather than send it through Yuto. But, Reiji had a point, it wouldn't be a _permanent_ goodbye, and… he did miss his mother. Sighing in defeat, he said, "…Okay, fine. But I'm coming back as soon as I can."

Reiji tapped a button on his Duel Disk… but all it did was shoot off sparks, it didn't do anything. He muttered something under his breath—something like "…not fast enough…"—and instead chose to turn his Duel Disk on, the Monster Card Zone materializing immediately.

"…It's not working?" Reizo asked.

His brother turned away from him, purposefully placing himself in front of Reizo. "Someone's blocking it," he said. Then, raising his voice, he shouted, "Whoever's hiding, show yourself!"

At first, all they could hear was someone clapping slowly, followed by laughter. Kaito and Droite immediately reacted, pulling Yuto behind them while activating their Duel Disks. Yuto and Reizo also activated theirs, and they all warily looked around for the source of the laughter.

From a side alley on the opposite side of the square—right where Reiji was intently staring—came a tall, lanky teenaged boy, his gloved hands repeatedly coming together at a steady beat. The teen had shoulder-length silver-white hair, his bangs spilling over the purple visor he had over his eyes. He wore a high-collared white trench coat, lined with maroon, and white boots on his feet.

"That's just _too_ bad, one second earlier and you would've been able to go home!" the teen cackled.

"Mao?!" The name slipped through Reizo's lips before he could hold it back. With it, he could feel the anger rising in his gut.

 _(He had the ability to read minds. He manipulated Shirley and forced me to wipe her memory with my Geass, and he kidnapped and almost killed Nunnally…!)_

"Hm?" The silver-haired teen cocked his head quizzically at the black-haired boy. "'Mao'… sounds familiar, but my name is _Masaki_ , Akaba Reizo."

 _(He doesn't recognize me… hmph.)_

"You won't be laying your hands on my brother, _Masaki_ ," Reiji said, his voice low.

That drew Masaki's attention to the other Akaba boy, and the quizzical look was replaced by a sort of gleeful _hunger_. "Both of the Professor's wayward sons in the same place? Oh, this is just _perfect_ , I won't have to make a trip to Standard after all."

At this, Kaito butted in. "What are you talking about, Fusion scum?"

Masaki leered at the Heartland native. "Xyz filth, I'd like nothing more than to destroy you right now. But, I have my orders. I'm only allowed to eliminate Akaba Reizo and Akaba Reiji. I don't suppose you'll just stay out of this?" Neither Kaito nor Droite budged, so Masaki just shrugged. "Oh well, I gave you the chance."

He lowered the visor down his nose enough to where they could all see his eyes—bright red ones that looked almost _unnatural_. The smirk growing on his face, he pointed at all three Tenjos, and ordered, " _On your knees._ "

Much to their surprise, both adults ended up on all fours in an instant. Kaito cursed while Droite was just stunned because neither of them had wanted to move like that. Yuto… remained on his feet. A detail that Masaki noted with a thin frown.

Reizo gawked at his friend's parents. The sort of power Mao— _Masaki_ —just used, that was…!

"It's not Geass," Reiji said quietly, eyes hidden behind his glasses. "I don't know how he's doing this, but it's not Geass."

"How do you know?"

"Because there are only two Code Bearers in existence, and neither one has a contract with someone from Fusion."

 _K.K. and C.C. are the only ones, then?_

While the two brothers spoke about Geass, Yuto had no clue what that was. All he knew was that Masaki had done _something_ to his parents, and he had no idea what. "Wh-What did you do to my parents?" Yuto demanded.

"Oho, they're your parents, are they? Good, good, then it doesn't matter if I can't make you my puppet…" His grin grew wider. "…I can still control you all I want. Better not interfere, boy. As long as I'm right here, your parents are my _puppets_. I could make them do _anything_ I want with the power the Professor gave me. For example…" He pointed at Droite. " _Come over here._ "

The black-and-purple-haired woman abruptly jerked to her feet. As she staggered over to Masaki's side, her face portrayed the strain at trying to resist. "You… can't make… me…!"

" _Leave my wife alone_!" Kaito growled as loudly as he could.

Masaki barely batted an eye, waving a hand dismissively at the grey-eyed man. " _Do shut up, filth_." He paused for a moment, contemplating Yuto. "Hmm… in addition to that, you can get up. _Restrain your son._ "

Kaito's jaw clamped shut, and he didn't make a sound, but the expression he had could _brutally murder_ Masaki if looks could kill. But they couldn't, so he had no choice but to be pulled to his feet by the invisible strings controlling him, and as much as he tried to fight it, he caught the boy's arm before he could move, and twisted Yuto's shoulder to keep him in place.

Yuto winced, trying to shift his weight into a more comfortable position. "D-Dad…!" he cried.

Reiji readjusted his glasses, his eyes hidden behind the dim reflection on them. "That's _enough_ , Masaki. You said it yourself, you only have business with my brother and I. Leave the Tenjos out of this."

The albino regarded the grey-haired teen with a sneer before giving off an exaggerated shrug. "Fine, fine. But if I hear them make so much as a _sound_ … I'll make all three of them _compact_." He let loose a short burst of a mad cackle, before sliding his visor back up.

The moment he did that, Droite and Kaito collapsed like ragdolls, breathing heavily as they laid on the broken pavement. Yuto cried out for them both, though he stuck by his father's side rather than run to his mother.

Reizo watched this, rage boiling in his gut, as he clenched both fists. Mao ruined Shirley's life just to get to him. Now Masaki was toying with Yuto and his family, and for what, _fun_? It was _despicable_ , just _despicable_.

"I'm going to make sure you pay for this, Masaki," Reizo declared, drawing a starting hand. "Let's—huh?"

His brother had stepped in front of him, an arm outstretched as though to keep him back. "I can handle this, Reizo. Please stay back."

Reizo bristled at the thought. "No way! I can't stand by and let you do all the fighting! I'm a _lot_ stronger than you remember, nii-sama!"

The elder Akaba frowned slightly. "That wasn't what I—"

"Oh, well that just won't do," Masaki interrupted, powering on his shield-shaped Duel Disk. The Monster Card Zone shot out in the shape of a sword, outlined in a silver-grey color. "I'm taking the _both_ of you on, not just _one_. I'll even let this be a _two-on-one Tag Duel_ rather than a Battle Royale, _no-strings attached_." He chuckled to himself as though what he said was funny.

Reiji's head tilted down a little, the mirrored reflection vanishing from his glasses. Underneath them, his eyes were narrowed in subdued fury. "This is _not_ up for debate, I will Duel you _by myself_ ," he said.

"But nii-sama—"

The silver-haired Fusion Duelist groaned, rolling his eyes. "You know, I'm _trying_ to be _fair_ here, giving you a chance to fight back instead of just carding you right now. I'm going to fight _both_ of you here and now!" He messed with something on his Duel Disk for a moment, and suddenly the screen on both Reizo's and Reiji's fuzzed out for a moment. It came back almost immediately after… portraying that they were now part of the very Duel that Masaki wanted. Reiji went quiet for a moment, frowning, and then drew his starting hand.

 **Masaki's Life Points: 4000. Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 4000**

"Of course, _I'll_ be going first," Masaki declared. He looked over the cards in his hand before grinning, selecting one of them and popping out a slot on the side of his Duel Disk to use it. "I'll start this Duel by activating the Field Spell _Curse of the Shadow Prison_!"

Their surroundings shifted, now appearing as a rocky wasteland rather than the ruins of Heartland. It did nothing to stop the rain, though, and nothing else appeared to be different.

 _Starting with a Field Spell… it's the same as that girl, the one that looked like Marianne._ Reizo narrowed his eyes, he had a bad feeling about this now.

"Now with _that_ set up… I think I'll activate the Spell _Polymerization_!" Masaki declared, slamming the second card in his hand into his Duel Disk. All three Tenjos, along with Reizo, tensed upon the announcement. Masaki grinned at that, and held up two of the three remaining cards in his hand. Both monsters. "I fuse the _Shaddoll Beast_ and _Shaddoll Hound_ in my hand together!"

" _Dark beast of the otherworld, entrap the hunter of shadows, and bind the darkness to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 5! Come forth, apparatus of desolation! El Shaddoll Midrash!"_

Two shadowy beasts held up by strings appeared before the silvery-white-haired teen, before the violet strings pulled the both of them into the spiral of light behind Masaki. As he clasped his hands together and declared that it was a Fusion Summon, the spiral shined bright enough to blind someone. And then… the light dimmed.

A dark-purple Chinese dragon shimmered into existence. Its body was rigid and robotic, with jagged, tiny black wings sprouting up behind its front shoulders. All four of its paws had a violet disk in the center of it, one glowing violet string extending from each. On the dragon's back stood a girl with long green hair, most of it tied back, with one cluster of hair running over each of her shoulders. Her body, just like the Chinese dragon's, appeared robotic in nature, the hinges for her knees revealed through the violet of her armor. In her right hand, she held an elongated staff, a crystal set at the top of it, with the wood curved around it to hold it in place.

 _ **El Shaddoll Midrash**_ **: DARK Spellcaster-Type / Level 5 / 2200 ATK / 800 DEF**

"Now, the effects of my Field Spell and _Shaddoll Beast_ activate in succession!" Masaki continued, his arm outstretched. "Whenever a 'Shaddoll' monster is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ gains one Spellstone Counter for each one! So it gains _two_ right now!"

Two separate shadows with glowing eyes appeared on the ground beside Masaki, but they did nothing else.

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 2 Spellstone Counters**

"Then, when _Shaddoll Beast_ is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I get to draw one card!" He draws it, smiles, and adds it to his hand. " _Shaddoll Hound_ has an effect that activates due to the same condition, but I'd rather not change the battle position of my own monster. Then…" He slid the card he'd drawn into his Duel Disk. "I'll Set a card face-down, and that'll end my turn."

 _Already a Fusion Monster…_ that's _different than what the girl did._ Reizo looked over his hand. _Ceruli, Guru of Dark World_ , _Dark World Dealings_ , _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_ , _Gateway to Dark World_ , and _Greyy, Defender of Dark World_. A slight smirk edged up his face; he could easily turn the tables against Masaki so soon in this Duel. "Nii-sama, I'll go first for us!"

"…Alright. But, be careful."

"Then it's my turn! Draw!"

 _Enemy Controller_. Not something he needed _right_ now. So he added it to his hand and grabbed a different one. "I activate the Spell _Dark World Dealings_! Everyone draws and then discards a card!"

He drew _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_ , and discarded _Ceruli_. Masaki didn't look particularly pleased at the card he drew, and discarded it—some sort of Spell. Reiji drew a card as well, and then discarded _D/D Rebuild_.

"Because _Ceruli_ was discarded by a card effect, I can Special Summon it to _your_ side of the field," Reizo continued, tossing his card over to Masaki.

"Gifting me a new puppet? Something tells me there's a catch…" Masaki placed the card on his Monster Card Zone.

A small fiend dressed in dark-grey armor appeared before Masaki, a navy-blue cape covering his shoulders. Cerulean-colored shoulder plates secured the cape in place, a similar-colored crystal set in the monster's staff. Its red eyes, wide, matched its eerie smirk. Over its head appeared to be a skeletal hand, but it was a part of the monster itself.

 _ **Ceruli, Guru of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 1 / 100 ATK / 300 DEF**

"There _is_ a catch, when Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Dark World' card—including its own— _Ceruli_ forces the opponent to discard a card. Of course, since it's on _your_ field, that makes _me_ the opponent. And I have _just_ the card I want to discard!" Reizo's smirk grew wider as he revealed _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_ , and slid it into his Graveyard. "Now then, _Lucent's_ effect! It was discarded by an opponent's card effect, so now I get to Special Summon it from my Graveyard, along with another 'Dark World' monster from my Deck, like _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World_!"

A blinding light filled the field for a moment… only to disappear immediately upon Masaki laughing. Both his monster and his Field Spell were intact, _Lucent_ was not on his field despite Reizo having moved it from the Graveyard, and Reizo's Duel Disk blared an error message.

"What the…?" The boy narrowed his eyes at his Duel Disk, it said he was conducting an illegal move.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it? _El Shaddoll Midrash_ prevents anyone from Special Summoning more than once a turn, and it was _you_ that Summoned _Ceruli_ , even if it was to _my_ field," Masaki explained through his laughter. "Looks like you won't be bringing out your ace any time soon!"

"Tch…!" Reizo scowled, reluctantly returning his monster to his Graveyard. His entire offensive strategy for the turn was ruined… but he could at least set up a defense. "I Summon _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_ in Defense Mode, and then I end my turn with one face-down." He Set _Enemy Controller_ , opting to hold onto _Gateway to Dark World_ for now.

A massive grey golem appeared before Reizo, its immense orange hands outstretched defensively.

 _ **Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 100 ATK / 2100 DEF**

"Good, it's my turn! Draw!" The albino grinned upon seeing his new card, but just added it to his hand. Extending an arm, he pointed at _Renge_. " _El Shaddoll Midrash_ , attack _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_!"

"I don't think so!" Reizo interrupted, pressing a button. "I use the Quick-Play Spell, _Enemy Controller_! I choose to use the first effect, forcing _El Shaddoll Midrash_ into Defense Mode!"

The shadowy blast from _Midrash's_ staff vanished as the dragon curled up beneath its rider, and the green-haired girl held her staff before her. A blue tint surrounded the monster.

Masaki did not look fazed in the slightest. "So you think _you_ can control _my_ puppets now? You'd be utterly mistaken. I activate the Quick-Play Spell _El Shaddoll Fusion_ from my hand!"

 _A Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase?!_

"With this, I'll fuse _El Shaddoll Midrash_ with the DARK Attribute _Ceruli, Guru of Dark World_! Come forth, _El Shaddoll Midrash_!"

A second copy of the Fusion Monster replaced the two monsters on Masaki's field, this one back in Attack Mode.

"But that's not all! The effect of my first _Midrash_ activates: since it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I get to add a 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap from my Graveyard back to my hand! I'll be choosing _El Shaddoll Fusion,_ of course!"

A shadowy portal appeared before him, a card forced out of it by purple strings. Masaki caught it between two fingers, and the portal disappeared. Then he clapped his hands together, as though he remembered something.

"Oh, and don't forget, with another 'Shaddoll' sent away by a card effect, _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ gains another Spellstone Counter~!"

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 3 Spellstone Counters**

A third shadow with glowing eyes shimmered to life on the ground.

"Go ahead, my second _El Shaddoll Midrash_! Finish what the other one started!"

Reizo 'tch'ed in frustration. He'd been hoping to only use one of his two defensive options this turn, but he couldn't leave the field completely empty for his brother. Taking the one monster from his hand, and sliding it into his Graveyard, he declared, "You aren't finishing anything! By discarding _Greyy, Defender of Dark World_ from my hand, I can use its effect to negate the destruction of a 'Dark World' monster I control!"

The green-haired girl raised her staff, the crystal glowing a bright violet. A great beam of light burst forth from it, only to be halted by a shield appearing before the grey golem.

Masaki frowned a little, then shrugged. "Oh well. I'll end my turn with a face-down. Now then…" He turned to Reiji, a hungering smile on his face. "I do hope you'll be able to do more than your little brother. Honestly, I'm surprised he's given Obelisk Force such a hard time…"

Reizo clenched a hand, steadying his breathing. _He's just trying to antagonize me, he reminded himself. I shouldn't react, it's what he wants._

Reiji shook his head. "You aren't going to get a rise out of us like that, if that's what your intention was in insulting my brother. I will, however, be glad to show you how someone from Standard can fight! It's my turn, draw!"

One glance at his brother's face and Reizo knew they were good. His brother had a poker face good enough to fool almost anyone, but even though they'd been separated for over a year, Reizo still knew how to tell when his brother was pleased. Whatever he'd drawn must have been perfect.

"I'll start by activating the Continuous Spell _Dark Contract with the Swamp King_ ," Reiji declared, sliding the card into his Duel Disk. "With this, Reizo and I can Fusion Summon Fiend-Type monsters without _Polymerization_ , though we take 1000 damage during our Standby Phase as a cost."

 _He's going to Fusion Summon with his one Special Summon, then?_

"Hm…? Oh, do show me your _fake Fusion_ , Reiji," Masaki said with a smirk.

Reiji's eyes narrowed slightly as he chose two cards from his hand, revealing them. "Using _Dark Contract with the Swamp King_ , I fuse _D/D Lamia_ with _D/D Pandora_!"

The first monster was a pale-blue-skinned woman, whose lower half was a dark-blue serpent's tail, and whose arms and head were covered in rose petals. The second was another half-woman with a long red cloth attached to her head as hair. Her lower half was a gold-encrusted purple box with a massive lock on the front. The two monsters were absorbed into the spiral of light behind Reiji…

" _Enchanting serpent, be absorbed into the crucible of disaster. Be reborn into a new king! Fusion Summon! Come forth, ruler who carries the glory of God! D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc!"_

Contrary to what the name "King" would suggest, the monster that appeared was clearly feminine. Her armor, silver with gold accents, covered everything but her midriff and her upper arms, a gold piece crossing over her stomach to connect her breastplate with her lower armor. Massive bat-like wings extended from her back, the undersides red while the backs were dark blue, with smaller versions where her ears should have been. In her left hand, she wielded a sword with a golden hilt.

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 7 / 2800 - (3 × 100) → 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF**

It was Reizo's turn to narrow his eyes at his brother's card, _Oracle King d'Arc_ had 2800 ATK, not 2500. Was this another of Midrash's effects?

Reiji adjusted his glasses. "Your _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ is the cause of my monster losing 300 ATK, isn't it?"

The albino grinned in response. "You guessed it right! For every Spellstone Counter on it, your monsters lose 100 ATK—only during your turn though."

" _Oracle King d'Arc_ still has more ATK than _Midrash_ ," Reiji pointed out, before declaring the attack.

The demon warrior flapped her wings, carrying her over to the puppet dragon and its rider. With one clean slash of her sword, _Oracle King d'Arc_ cut her target in two, severing all the violet strings holding Midrash up. Masaki did not even flinch at the holographic shards flying at him.

 **Masaki's Life Points: 4000 - 300 → 3700**

"Once again, _Midrash's_ effect lets me return _El Shaddoll Fusion_ to my hand~!"

"Yes, but now that your monster is off the field, there's no more limit on Special Summons," Reiji said. "In which case, I Summon _D/D Berfomet_ from my hand!"

A yellow-skinned beast with black fur over its head and legs appeared before Reiji, one of its curved red horns broken. It had two arms on its right side, while it had a bat's wing where its right arm should have been, and light-colored wings sprouted from its back.

 _ **D/D Berfomet**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1400 ATK / 1800 DEF**

"Reizo, is it alright if I use your monster?"

"Of course, nii-sama." Reizo was fairly certain he knew what card his brother was going to use, and it would definitely be more useful than _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_.

"Good. Then, I Overlay my _D/D Berfomet_ and Reizo's _Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World_!" Reiji declared.

Both Level 4 monsters turned into light, spiralling into a multi-colored galaxy that hovered over the ground.

" _In order to subjugate all that resides in this world, now, descend onto the peak of the world! Xyz Summon! Be born! Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"_

The shining galaxy exploded, revealing a stout man in dark purple armor. Shimmering blue light like waves danced on the surface of the armor, even though there was no water. The man held a massive sword in both hands, as two orbs of light orbited around him.

 _ **D/D/D Wave King Caesar**_ **: WATER Fiend-Type / Rank 4 / 2400 - (3 × 100) → 2100 ATK / 1200 DEF**

Masaki said nothing, but a wicked grin unlike any of the others he'd made so far crossed his face.

"I'll Set two cards face-down, and that ends my turn," Reiji finished, sliding his last two cards into his Duel Disk.

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2500 → 2800 ATK**

 _ **D/D/D Wave King Caesar**_ **: 2100 → 2400 ATK**

"My turn again! I draw!" The albino hummed for a moment, regarding the cards in his hand. "Yes… I Set a monster and another card face-down, and that ends my turn."

 _A Set monster? He's either bluffing, or it has a Flip Effect._ Reizo frowned slightly, then drew his card. _Negate Attack_.

"Since it's our Standby Phase, _Dark Contract with the Swamp King_ inflicts 1000 damage to us. However, _Oracle King d'Arc's_ effect causes any effect damage we would take to increase our Life Points instead," Reiji said.

His face-up Spell shot out a bolt of lightning towards the two brothers. _Oracle King d'Arc_ flew before it, catching the lightning on her sword. Then a soft blue aura appeared around the boys for a moment before vanishing.

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 4000 + 1000 → 5000**

"Nifty trick… let's see how long you can keep that up," Masaki taunted. "Don't forget, now that it's not my turn, your monsters lose 300 ATK thanks to my Field Spell having three Spellstone Counters~!"

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2800 - (3 × 100) → 2500 ATK**

 _ **D/D/D Wave King Caesar**_ **: 2400 - (3 × 100) → 2100 ATK**

 _This guy is getting on my_ nerves _,_ Reizo thought, teeth clenched. _But I have to keep my cool, this is a fight for my life, and for nii-sama's too._ He exchanged _Negate Attack_ for the other card in his hand, sliding that one into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Gateway to Dark World_! With this, I can revive a 'Dark World' monster, though I can't Summon anything else this turn. Come forth, _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_!"

A large, winged fiend appeared before Reizo. It had horns on either side of its head, and the top of its wings looked the exact same. The monster was a silverish color, jagged armor covering its body.

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 6 / 2400 - (3 × 100) → 2100 ATK / 0 DEF**

Reizo narrowed his eyes at the field. Did he attack, or did he play it cautious? One of Masaki's face-downs _had_ to be _El Shaddoll Fusion_ , but the other one—plus his monster—were unknown to Reizo. And he still had a card in his hand…

… _I have three monsters, though. That should be enough…_

Nodding to himself, he declared, "Battle! _Lucent_ attacks your face-down monster!"

Masaki grinned as his Set monster flipped up. The form of a mechanical violet falcon held up by similar-colored strings appeared.

 _ **Shaddoll Falco**_ **: DARK Spellcaster-Type / Level 2 / 600 ATK / 1400 DEF**

" _Shaddoll Falco's_ Flip Effect activates! I Special Summon _El Shaddoll Midrash_ back from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Mode!"

The bird screeched, its strings thrashing about before dropping into a shadowy portal on the ground. The bird then tried flying away, and in the process of it, dragged the puppet dragon and its green-haired rider back from the Graveyard. Then _Lucent's_ attack connected, shattering the falcon into a million different pieces.

Reizo huffed; all his brother's work and Masaki just brought that _stupid_ monster back. "Then I'll just have _Oracle King d'Arc_ destroy it again!"

"Wait, Reizo—" Reiji tried to say something, but was cut off by Masaki's loud laughter.

"Oh, please, it doesn't make a difference whether or not he attacks," Masaki said, tapping a button on his Duel Disk. "He won't even have an attack target after this! I activate my Set _El Shaddoll Fusion_!"

 _A different Fusion Monster…? But he doesn't have any other monsters to fuse_ Midrash _with!_

"At this moment, the effect of _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ activates! By using up three of its Spellstone Counters…" He paused for effect, the grin growing on his face. "…I can use a monster my _opponent_ controls as Fusion Material!"

* * *

 **A/N: Reiji is here! And he's Tag Dueling with Reizo! Although Masaki's cards, now that might be a bit of a problem alongside his power. Oh yeah, and obviously I'm using the OCG names for the "El Shaddoll" monsters because I think they sound cooler.**

 **Heehee…**

 **Next chapter should be up sometime next week!**

 **Please leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 **Cards in this chapter:**

 _Greyy, Defender of Dark World_

 _DARK Fiend/Effect_

 _Level 3_

 _Effect: If this card is in your hand when a "Dark World" monster you control would be destroyed: You can discard this card from your hand; this turn, "Dark World" monsters you control cannot be destroyed._

 _900 ATK_

 _2000 DEF_

* * *

 _The Akaba brothers struggle against the overwhelming might of Masaki's "El Shaddoll" monsters. The outcome of this Duel for survival is…!_

 _Next time: Puppet's Reign_


	20. Chapter 19: Puppet's Reign

" _Reizo's engaged in battle with a soldier that uses 'Shaddolls'?!"_

…

" _That_ has _to be him… the guy that killed Alito and Girag."_

…

" _I'm going."_

…

" _Why shouldn't I?! He killed two of us, are you saying I should just let him go?"_

…

"… _Hmph. Then you and Yuma-kun stay here for all I care."_

…

 **Chapter 19: Puppet's Reign**

" _By using up three of its Spellstone Counters, I can use a monster my_ opponent _controls as Fusion Material!"_

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 0 Spellstone Counters**

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2500 → 2800 ATK**

 _ **D/D/D Wave King Caesar**_ **: 2100 → 2400 ATK**

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: 2100 → 2400 ATK**

"But that's—"

"—not good…" Reiji adjusted his glasses. "Which one would he…?"

"Using _El Shaddoll Midrash_ and the WATER Attribute _D/D/D Wave King Caesar_ as the Materials, I conduct a Fusion Summon!"

The three shadows that had previously clung to the ground behind Masaki shot forward, reaching up from the ground to grab hold of the blue-armored king. Though the man struggled, the shadows dragged him back into the spiral of light that had already absorbed the Chinese dragon and its rider.

" _Twisted dragon rider of the otherworld, entrap the surging ruler of a different dimension, and bind the waters to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 9! Appear now, spirit of disaster! El Shaddoll Anomalilith!"_

The spiral of light vanished, revealing the massive monster it had created. It was a pale-blue-skinned woman, her limbs and chest dark purple. An almost crystalline snake-like body trailed around hers, ending as a crown atop her head. Wings extended from her back in the shape of a light-amethyst crescent, the crystalline structure lining the edges of them. Around each of her wrists were the petals of an amaryllis, while the light purple strings that held up all of Masaki's other monsters sprouted from her palms and from her tail.

 _ **El Shaddoll Anomalilith**_ **: WATER Fiend-Type / Level 9 / 2700 ATK / 2000 DEF**

"Now then, the chain of effects happens again! _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ gains back one Spellstone Counter because of _Midrash_ being sent back to the Graveyard by a card effect, while _Midrash's_ effect will let me add _El Shaddoll Fusion_ back to my hand once again!"

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 1 Spellstone Counter**

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2800 - 100 → 2700 ATK**

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: 2400 - 100 → 2300 ATK**

Reizo tore his eyes away from the sight of the monster—he had to focus. He had no idea what the effects of this monster were, and while he _could_ possibly destroy it with _Oracle King d'Arc_ , thanks to that stupid Field Spell, he'd destroy his brother's only monster as well. It was too risky for the moment… "I'll… Set a card face-down, and end my turn."

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2700 → 2800 ATK**

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: 2300 → 2400 ATK**

"Hah… where'd all that confidence go? It's my turn, draw!" The second he saw what he'd drawn, Masaki's eyes lit up with glee. He then tapped a button on his Duel Disk—the elusive face-down he'd Set on his first turn was finally being used. "I activate the Continuous Trap _Shaddoll Core_! Upon activation, I Special Summon it as a monster!"

The card flipped up, whereupon it morphed into an empty grey helm with a hole on the front. Suddenly, seven different heads that appeared like brown smoke extended from the top of the helm, thrashing about, baring their teeth at all of them.

 _ **Shaddoll Core**_ **: DARK Spellcaster-Type / Level 9 / 1450 ATK / 1950 DEF**

"Now then, _Shaddoll Core_ has the lovely effect to be treated as _any_ Attribute I wish when it's used as Fusion Material. I think I'll use that effect to make it LIGHT once I activate _El Shaddoll Fusion_! I fuse the now-LIGHT _Shaddoll Core_ with the _Shaddoll Dragon_ in my hand!"

The hole in the front of the seven-headed helm shined a bright yellow as it was pulled into a spiral of light. It was soon joined by a dark-blue dragon made out of nothing but puppet parts, held together by violet string.

" _Darkened fire of the otherworld, entrap the core of illusions, and bind the light to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Descend, puppetmaster who weaves tales of despair! El Shaddoll Nephilim!"_

When the spiral of light dimmed, it revealed a monster with an uncanny resemblance to the albino's other monster. There were clear differences between the two, however; _Nephilim_ lacked the crystal serpent and amaryllis petals that _Anomalilith_ had, while her strings sprouted from her back rather than her hands. In exchange for lacking a tail, _Nephilim_ had a construct around her waist that appeared to be two halves of a skirt.

 _ **El Shaddoll Nephilim**_ **: LIGHT Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2800 ATK / 2500 DEF**

"Now then, three different cards of mine chain to each other! First, _Curse of the Shadow Prison_ gains two Spellstone Counters! Next, the effect of _Shaddoll Core_ lets me return _El Shaddoll Fusion_ to my hand once again! Finally, _Shaddoll Dragon_ lets me destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards once it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect! I'll be destroying… your left face-down, Reiji."

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 3 Spellstone Counters**

Reizo caught a glimpse of _Contract Laundering_ before the card was strangled by violet strings.

"Now, I _could_ have used one of _Nephilim's_ effects just then, but that would make things _too_ easy. _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ , attack _D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc_!" Masaki declared.

It made no sense, the two monsters had the same ATK. Unless… an effect, _Nephilim's_ or _Anomalilith's_? He couldn't risk it. "I activate a Counter Trap, _Negate Attack_! Your Battle Phase is now over and done!"

The puppetmaster's strings bounced harmlessly off of a barrier that appeared to separate the two sides of the field. Masaki 'tch'ed in annoyance, then shrugged. "So your last turn _wasn't_ a waste. Oh well, you're really only prolonging the inevitable. I end my turn."

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2800 - (3 × 100) → 2500 ATK**

 _ **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**_ **: 2400 - (3 × 100) → 2100 ATK**

Reiji did not move. In fact, his eyes were shut and hidden behind the reflection of his glasses while he held a hand to them. He appeared to be deep in thought… but he hadn't even drawn his card yet.

"Nii-sama, it's your turn," Reizo said, poking his arm.

The elder Akaba seemed to jump as though he'd dozed off, but that couldn't be right. "Ah… yes, it is. I draw, then!" He pondered the card for a second before adding it to his hand.

 _Dark Contract with the Swamp King's_ effect activated, once again turned into an increase thanks to _Oracle King d'Arc's_ ability.

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 5000 + 1000 → 6000**

"…The effect of _D/D Lamia_ activates from my Graveyard! By sending a face-up 'Dark Contract' from my field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon _Lamia_ , though she will be banished the next time she leaves the field!"

The serpentine woman covered in rose petals appeared on the field for real this time, though she would not stay for long.

 _ **D/D Lamia**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 1 / 100 ATK / 1900 DEF**

"Huh… lucky you, since that was a _monster_ effect, _Anomalilith_ couldn't stop your Special Summon," Masaki said. "But, what are you going to do with such a weak monster?"

Reiji went quiet again, his hand curled about his chin while he debated what to do. Reizo knew that one of two monsters was about to be Summoned, but he wasn't sure what his brother had in mind. It was a dangerous risk for his brother to Summon _either_ of his Synchro Monsters; _Hexblood King Siegfried_ would take _Oracle King d'Arc_ out of the game, which would hinder them if Reiji needed to use a different "Dark Contract", while _Gust King Alexander_ was WIND-Attributed, which Masaki would probably use as Fusion Material thanks to his Field Spell…

"I… will Tune my Level 1 _D/D Lamia_ with my brother's Level 6 _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World_!" Reiji declared.

 _So he's going for_ Gust King Alexander…

The serpentine woman turned into a single green ring, which circled about the gold-covered fiend. The fiend turned transparent, revealing six stars inside of his body.

" _Howls that tear through the night. With the swiftness of a gale, give birth to a new king! Synchro Summon! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"_

The six stars inside of the ring turned into a column of light. When the light dimmed, there was a slender, silver-armored man in its place. Pale-green circles were set about the front, shimmering under the green glow that surrounded the entire monster.

 _ **D/D/D Gust King Alexander**_ **: WIND Fiend-Type / Level 7 / 2500 - (3 × 100) → 2200 ATK**

Masaki laughed. "A WIND monster? Are you _trying_ to lose now?"

"I Set a card face-down and end my turn," Reiji said.

 _ **D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc**_ **: 2500 → 2800 ATK**

 _ **D/D/D Gust King Alexander**_ **: 2200 → 2500 ATK**

"Hm… my turn, draw!" Upon seeing his card, Masaki smiled. "I don't know what you _think_ you can do, but I'm not your _puppet_. Your monsters are going _down_! _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ , attack _Oracle King d'Arc_!"

The puppetmaster spread her arms out, the strings from her back strangling _Oracle King d'Arc_ until the demon swordswoman shattered. Yet nothing happened to _Nephilim_ …

"Oh yeah, guess I forgot to mention, _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ automatically destroys _any_ Special Summoned monster she battles with," Masaki said with a laugh. "Now then, _El Shaddoll Anomalilith_ attacks _Gust King Alexander_!"

 _Anomalilith_ extended both hands, her strings shooting directly at the king. But Reiji just smiled faintly, before moving to activate one of his Set cards. "You really fell for my bluff. I activate my Continuous Trap _Dark Contract with the Witch_! While this card is on the field, all Fiend-Type monsters I control gain 1000 ATK during your turn only!"

"E-Eh?!"

 _ **D/D/D Gust King Alexander**_ **: 2500 + 1000 → 3500 ATK**

The king that glowed green struck back, slicing apart the strings that attempted to bind him. The gust from his blade blew _Anomalilith_ away, slamming her into a building in order to make her shatter apart. Masaki flew back a few feet as well thanks to the wind, and he snarled at that.

 **Masaki's Life Points: 3700 - 800 → 2900**

"Dammit…! You'll _pay_ for that! _El Shaddoll Anomalilith's_ effect lets me return _Shaddoll Core_ to my hand… and I'll end my turn with a face-down," he snarled.

 _ **D/D/D Gust King Alexander**_ **: 3500 → 2500 - (3 × 100) → 2200 ATK**

 _Now_ he's _the one getting flustered, serves him right,_ Reizo thought. _I still can't let my guard down though._ "It's my turn, draw!" The card was _Scarr, Scout of Dark World_.

"…With _Oracle King d'Arc_ no longer on the field, we will take the damage from my _Dark Contract_ ," Reiji said, almost reluctantly.

The lightning from his card actually hit the two boys this time, rather than being transformed by _Oracle King d'Arc_. Reizo clenched his teeth; it hurt, even though this wasn't an Action Duel.

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 6000 - 1000 → 5000**

With that done, he focused on the one card in his hand. He couldn't do anything with it _now_ , and he couldn't attack with his brother's card either. However, _Scarr's_ effect would certainly let him turn things around by his _next_ turn. "I Summon _Scarr, Scout of Dark World_ to the field in Defense Mode and end my turn."

A fiend in the shape of a red-backed monkey appeared, bowed down defensively.

 _ **Scarr, Scout of Dark World**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 2 / 500 + 1000 → 1500 ATK / 500 DEF**

 _ **D/D/D Gust King Alexander**_ **: 2200 → 2500 + 1000 → 3500 ATK**

"It's _my_ turn! _DRAW_!" Masaki almost screamed. He was _really_ pissed about Reiji tricking him, wasn't he?

But the anger written all over the albino's face immediately vanished upon seeing the card he drew. He even started _laughing_. "Why did I _ever_ doubt my cards? I activate _Shaddoll Core_ , Special Summoning it just like I did before!" And once it reappeared on the field… "Then, treating it as an EARTH monster, I activate _El Shaddoll Fusion_ in order to fuse it with the _Shaddoll Squamata_ in my hand!"

The empty space in the helm lit up an orangish-brown this time, sucked into the spiral of light alongside a snakelike creature covered in gold rings.

" _Eclipsed star of the otherworld, entrap the core of illusions, and bind the earth to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 10! Arise, fallen angel that spreads destruction! El Shaddoll Shekhinaga!"_

The same puppet-woman that was both _Anomalilith_ and _Nephilim_ was a part of the new monster as well, with some extreme differences. Her skin was white now, while her left half was the same color and her right half was black. A small bat-like wing protruded from her right arm while an angelic one came from the other. Golden rings bound her legs together and wrapped all around her torso, while the violet strings common to the archetype bound her by the wrists and ankles to four towers even larger than her.

 _ **El Shaddoll Shekhinaga**_ **: EARTH Machine-Type / Level 10 / 2600 ATK / 3000 DEF**

"Two more Spellstone Counters are placed onto my Field Spell, while _Shaddoll Squamata's_ effect allows me to send a different 'Shaddoll' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I'll send _Shaddoll Falco_ … whose effect then Special Summons itself in face-down Defense Position!" Masaki continued.

 _ **Curse of the Shadow Prison**_ **: 5 Spellstone Counters**

 _He didn't return_ El Shaddoll Fusion _to his hand… what's he planning…?_

" _You_ ," Masaki snapped, glowering at Reiji, "made a fool out of me once, but I am _not_ falling for your tricks again. I activate the Normal Spell _Shaddoll Fusion_ from my hand!"

Reizo's eyes widened a little—that was the card Masaki'd had in his hand for the entirety of the Duel. Even if he _hadn't_ been able to return _El Shaddoll Fusion_ to his hand so frequently, he had a back-up the whole time…!

"By using up three Spellstone Counters, I fuse your _Gust King Alexander_ with my _Shaddoll Falco_!"

Once again, three of the shadow creatures dragged one of Reiji's monsters back into the spiral of light. It was soon joined by the puppet falcon.

" _Obscured falcon of the otherworld, entrap the stormy ruler of a different dimension, and bind the winds to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 6! Appear, beast of demise! El Shaddoll Wendigo!"_

The light dimmed to reveal the puppet form of a purple dolphin, blue-green pieces of metal lined with gold adorning its head and fin. In front of the dolphin, also hung up by strings, was a young girl—even younger than _Midrash_ —who wore a small, purple dress, similar-colored ribbons crisscrossing about her legs. Her curly, two-toned lavender and yellow hair was held back by a headband, with an aqua-green hairpiece next to it. In her hands, she bore a staff that ended with a blue disk, four small knives lining its edges.

 _ **El Shaddoll Wendigo**_ **: WIND Psychic-Type / Level 6 / 200 ATK / 2800 DEF**

It took every fiber of Reizo's being to not start panicking in response to this. _Wendigo_ wasn't going to be attacking them, but _Shekhinaga_ and _Nephilim_ were both in Attack Mode. Their only defenses were _Scarr_ and whatever face-down card his brother had… but even _if_ they held out this turn, what would they be able to do to turn _this_ around?

Masaki's grin grew wider as he shot out his arm, pointing at the one monster the two Akabas controlled. " _El Shaddoll Shekhinaga_ , attack _Scarr, Scout of Dark World_!"

In the blink of an eye, violet strings shot up from the ground beneath _Scarr_ , instantly strangling the red-backed fiend.

Reizo gritted his teeth together. "When destroyed in battle, _Scarr's_ effect lets me add a Level 4 or lower 'Dark World' monster to my hand, like _Oppal, Archer of Dark World_."

"Go ahead and do that, it won't save you from _El Shaddoll Nephilim's_ direct attack!" Masaki cackled.

At the declaration, Reiji moved to activate his face-down. "Perhaps my brother's effect cannot stop the attack, but you're forgetting about _me_. I activate the Normal Trap _D/D/D Contract Change_! By banishing _D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc_ from my Graveyard, we take no damage from your attack… and I can also add _D/D Orthos_ from my Deck to my hand!"

The strings that _Nephilim_ directed towards them passed through them harmlessly, and eventually retracted to hover around her as normal.

"Tsk… but you're only stalling at this point, and you can't stall forever. I'll end my turn with that," Masaki said confidently.

"My turn, draw!" The second Reiji saw what he'd drawn, he slid it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Emergency Provisions_! I send _Dark Contract with the Witch_ to my Graveyard in order to gain 1000 Life Points!"

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 5000 + 1000 → 6000**

The albino clapped a few times. "Hoh…? So you got out of your _contract_ just in time to escape damage. But if that's all you drew, I know I have _nothing_ to fear on my next turn!"

 _He's right. Nii-sama's only card now is the_ D/D Orthos _he got last turn… that's not anywhere_ close _to being enough to turn things around._ Reizo covered his left eye with one hand, feeling his power surge beneath it. _I'm going to have to use my Geass to get out of this, won't I? But what if Masaki reacts in time to stop me—or worse, what if he reacts in time to do something to Yuto or his family? What… what should I do…?_

Reiji tilted his head down, and subsequently adjusted his glasses to keep them from sliding off his nose. The unflinching reflection hiding his eyes was… different than normal. Reiji would always hide his eyes when he had something planned, Reizo knew that. But combined with the thin frown on his face… it looked like Reiji _didn't have a plan_. That wasn't right, Reiji _always_ had a plan.

 _Always_.

"…I Summon _D/D Orthos_ in Defense Mode, and that ends my turn," Reiji finished.

A beast with two wolf heads appeared on Reiji's field, a green snake wrapped around its torso.

 _ **D/D Orthos**_ **: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 600 ATK / 1800 DEF**

Masaki snickered. "And it all comes crumbling down. MY TURN, DRAW!" He laughed upon seeing his card. "Hah…! With this card, I win on my next turn! I activate the Normal Spell _Monster Reborn_! Return to me, _El Shaddoll Anomalilith_!"

The monster nearly identical to _Shekhinaga_ and _Nephilim_ returned to the field.

"Now, _Shekhinaga_ attacks your monster!"

Again, strings burst forth from the ground, strangling the two-headed beast until it shattered.

" _Anomalilith_ , direct attack!"

Reizo shot a worried look at his brother. Couldn't they do _something_? If they took both direct attacks…!

"Reizo… get behind me," Reiji ordered. "I, don't have any way to stop this, but I can at least—"

"How _sweet_ , you'd protect your little brother at the cost of yourself… too bad you _still_ can't do anything! You're _both_ in this Duel, after all~!" Masaki said.

Wrists surrounded by red petals extended forward, the ends of violet strings clenched in the monster's hands. She snapped her hands up, and suddenly both brothers found themselves airborne, tossed around like ragdolls by the strings that bound their limbs… until the strings shifted, and slammed them into the ground.

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 6000 - 2700 → 3300**

Reizo saw nothing but red for a good minute, completely dazed as he tasted dirt mixed with metal. He shifted to push himself off the ground, and immediately screamed as his left shoulder flared in intense pain, along with his face. His ears were ringing—he was pretty sure he could hear Yuto calling out to him, though. The only thing he managed to do was tilt his head up, to see his brother's shattered glasses on the pavement right next to him.

" _Nephilim_ , direct attack!" Masaki roared.

Reizo almost screamed as strings pulled him into the air a second time, but he couldn't. He couldn't even _breathe_ , since the strings from this attack were _wrapped around his throat_. The pain of his eyes and shoulder were _nothing_ compared to the feeling of that wire, cutting into his skin and choking his airway, when he couldn't even move an arm to fight against the strings. His vision was spinning, red blotting out over half of it, while his lungs _burned_. Air. He needed _air_.

What felt like an eternity passed before he could breathe again, dropped onto his knees. Immediately he collapsed forward, holding himself up with his right arm, his left limp at his side, while he coughed and spluttered out the blood and bile in his throat in order to _breathe_. He wasn't sure how long it was before he was able to properly breathe, and it was even longer before he could stand up… only to promptly fall back down when his knee gave out.

He shut his eyes for a second, then snapped them back open as someone pulled him up, wrapping an arm under his shoulders to keep him steady. His brother—Reiji was _considerably_ less injured than he was, a thin cut likely from _Nephilim's_ attack around the base of his neck, and a few cuts on his face along with an already-forming bruise, but otherwise looked fine.

"I've got you," Reiji said quietly to him. "I've got you, Reizo."

"Nii-sama… we're not gonna win this, are we?"

Reiji's eyes darkened and stared at the ground. "…No. We've… we've been fighting for nothing this whole time. I thought I could change things, but… this is a Duel we're destined to lose," he said, so quiet Reizo could barely hear him.

Reizo stared up at him questionably. "What do you mean…?"

But Masaki interrupted them. "—oi! Reizo! It's _your_ turn you know!"

The boy's shoulders sagged defeatedly. It _was_ his turn… but what _difference_ did it make? The only card he had was _Oppal_ , and there was _nothing_ he could draw that would be able to save them. Stall another turn, perhaps, but then what would _Reiji_ be able to do?

"…I… draw…"

His vision had been blurry since he'd been slammed face-first into the ground, both from possibly having a concussion from that and because of the blood that dripped from his forehead. He couldn't even _see_ the name of the card, and his brother wouldn't be able to read either it thanks to his busted glasses. The image was blurry too—some sort of twisted tower—but that didn't matter. The only hope Reizo'd had would be if he'd drawn _Hallowed Life Barrier_ , of which he had two. _Hallowed Life Barrier's_ picture _definitely_ wasn't some sort of twisting tower…

The tears just started falling. They were going to _lose_. He and his brother were going to lose, and losers spent eternity sealed in cards. They were going to _die_ , and the very thought _terrified_ him. It wasn't anything like the Zero Requiem— _(though he had nightmares of that, the feeling of that sword through his lungs and the pain the pain the pain)_ —he was going to _die_ as just another victim of Fusion's invasion. And so would his brother… all because Reiji had tried to come rescue him.

"Nii-sama… I-I'm sorry… I… we…"

"It's alright, Reizo. It isn't your fault…" Reiji's eyes softened. "And even if you think it is, I do _not_ blame you. I do not regret coming here to find you and…" He paused for a second. "…and even though our reunion was brief, it was worth it. I would not have been able to live with myself if you had been killed before I could find you."

Reizo clung to his brother's sweater, hoping the rain would mask his tears. He didn't want to die, he didn't want his _brother_ to die, it wasn't fair. They were still just _children_ , what gave Academia's soldiers the right to end their lives?

"You two done saying your goodbyes? Good," Masaki said as he drew his card. He paused for dramatic effect, one last soul-shattering grin plastered on his face. " _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ … DIRECT ATTACK!"

As soon as the puppetmaster's strings came towards them, Reizo clung tighter than he'd ever done before to his brother, and Reiji had already pulled him into a protective embrace. As though it would do anything. The strings were all-powerful, weaving their way through gaps between the boys that were so small they couldn't exist and _pulled_ so hard they just couldn't stay together.

Reizo screamed and flailed around desperately, as though that would save him. Reiji kept himself much more composed, his lips moving in a silent prayer or something.

And then the two were slammed back down to the tune of Masaki's laughter as he walked towards them, his hand wavering over his Duel Disk.

 **Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 500 - 2800 → 0**

Reizo coughed, and more red entered his vision. He was just _numb_ now; he'd most likely gone into shock. It wasn't fair… it wasn't fair…

… _I'm supposed to have power… but I can't protect myself or my brother…_

Masaki flipped through screens on his Duel Disk until the one he reached planted a sadistic grin on his face.

 _I… I don't want to die…!_

"Goodbye, you pitiful sons of Akaba Leo."

 _This_ can't _be the end!_

Masaki pressed a button on his Duel Disk.

 _NO!_

Purple light.

White-hot heat.

 _(This is not the end, I will not allow it!)_

Laughter.

…

"What… what the _hell_?!"

* * *

 **A/N: *Insane high-pitched evil laughter***

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Reizo wakes up in a hospital after a two-week coma. Meanwhile, the residents of Heartland must cope with the tragedy in the wake of Masaki's Duel…_

 _Next time: In the Hands of Despair_

* * *

PS: Go check out "Code-V: Recollections" if you haven't already.


	21. Chapter 20: In the Hands of Despair

" _What… what the_ hell _?!"_

…

" _This fight… isn't over yet…"_

…

" _From my hand… I activate…"_

…

" _FUSION SUMMON!"_

…

" _Scared now, are you? You should know by now… the only ones who should kill are the ones prepared to_ be _killed."_

…

" _Are you ready to die?"_

…

 **Chapter 20: In the Hands of Despair**

…

 _(Power. He had power. The absolute power to bend the world to his will.)_

" _Wh-What the hell are you?"_

 _(The scum before him, sickened him. He had power too, but used it against the powerless.)_

" _You're not—"_

 _(Human? He laughed; he was not the one going around slaughtering innocents. How was_ he _not human?)_

"… _Die!"_

 _(He saw red. So much red. Too much. There shouldn't be this much, something had gone wrong.)_

 _BANG. BANG. BANG._

 _(No, this wasn't what he wanted…!)_

 _Too much red._

…

 _Shattered glasses._

 _Green hair._

 _Blood._

 _Pain._

…

 _Nothing._

…

…

"… _rewrite… almost…"_

…

" _It's for the best."_

"… _Yes, for the best…"_

…

…

…

* * *

The next time he was consciously aware of anything, Reizo found himself trapped in darkness, unable to so much as lift a finger. His limbs hung limp at his sides, numbness ebbing through his bones. The only thing he could _feel_ was a sharp burning in his left eye and he couldn't think of why.

And then he remembered.

He remembered his Life Points dropping to zero. He remembered flying through the air, his face slamming into a slab of concrete hard enough to break bone. He remembered seeing, through the blood dripping into his vision, the still form of his big brother lying next to him. And he remembered, the last thing he saw…

…it was of Masaki standing above the two of them, his hand hovering over his Duel Disk.

He had… lost. The whole Duel he'd done nothing but hold Reiji back, and they both had lost. That meant…

 _I'm… I'm trapped in a card?!_

So this was what it was like. Unable to move, in severe pain, and surrounded in darkness. If he could move, he would have shuddered in fear. This was what the others trapped in cards felt like? An eternity of _this_?

A jolt ran down his spine.

 _Nii-sama. Nii-sama lost too._

He felt his heartbeat quicken, strained in his chest. The only sign that he was _alive_ in this forsaken limbo.

 _He can't be stuck like this too!_

"— _too soon—"_

"— _heart rate spiked—"_

"— _into shock—"_

 _Are those… voices? They sound so close…_

His fingers twitched. Voices, he heard voices. And if he heard them, he _couldn't_ be a card. But his brother…

 _Nii-sama… you have to help him…_

… _you have to…_

…

… _Nii-sama…_

…

…

* * *

Reizo found himself still in the darkness the next time he could consciously think, but everything was… different. He could feel something _soft_ underneath his back, and his left hand was warm—he was holding something; no, he was holding someone else's _hand_. Everything else still felt numb, though, especially his face.

 _Wh-What's going on?_

He must have tensed up, for the hand he was holding tightened its grip on him, a second hand covering the back of his.

"Reizo… can you hear me?"

The boy's heart skipped a beat the second he recognized who the voice belonged to. It was his mother's voice, which he hadn't heard in over a year and a half. He still couldn't see, but there was no way he was mistaken.

"M—" He tried to speak even though he couldn't move. His throat scratched, particularly dry, and couldn't complete any words.

He heard someone—he assumed it was his mother—move around, and a moment later the rim of a cup was pressed to his lips. The moment he felt the cool water against his tongue, he swallowed so quickly that he almost choked as the liquid slipped through his parched throat. How long had it been since he'd had water?

"M-More, please," he said, voice raspy. His lips felt so heavy…

"Of course," his mother replied, filling the cup at the sink before returning it to Reizo.

He drank slower this time, savoring the relief for his throat. When he was done, he closed his mouth and let his head fall back the half-inch he'd managed to lift up. Nothing hurt at all, but he just couldn't move.

"Mother…? What… happened?" he asked. "I can't… see… can barely move…"

Akaba Himika cleared her throat. "You were… severely injured in a Duel, alongside your brother. Reiji-san was, barely able to escape from the Xyz Dimension with you before he collapsed."

… _Nii-sama was able to get us home then._

"The doctors had to place you in a medically induced coma for nearly two weeks in order for you to recover from the many surgeries needed to save your life. You're still feeling the effects of the anesthesia used to keep you under."

 _Okay, so that's why I can't move. But…!_ "What about… eyes…?"

At that, his mother fell silent. "Reizo…" She sighed, and it wasn't from relief. "As I said, you were severely injured in the Duel." A hand touched his face—no. Not his face. Bandages. There were bandages over his eyes? "The doctors tried their absolute best… however, that wasn't quite enough. They were… unable to save your left eye."

… _My… eye…?_

He could vaguely feel his body start to tremble from the revelation. His eye was _gone_. He, he'd never be able to see from that side again. He wouldn't be completely blind, but still…!

"…I'm sorry, Reizo."

Once again, the two sat in silence. Reizo tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't stop himself from trembling. He couldn't see. He couldn't _see_. And even once the bandages came off, he'd only have sight in his right eye.

It wasn't fair. Weren't the good guys always supposed to win? This wasn't a win, this was being extremely lucky to get away from Masaki with their lives.

… _Wait._ "…Mother… where's… nii-sama…?"

She didn't respond.

"Mother?" he repeated, trying to crane his neck in the direction he thought she was.

"He's… alive," his mother answered slowly. "That is… all that matters right now."

 _Alive_. That _was_ good news, but it didn't mean the best. "How badly… was he hurt…?"

"…It's time to go, Reira," his mother said after yet another pause. Reizo heard her shift around—along with someone else, that he hadn't even known was in the room. "I'll be back to see you again tomorrow, Reizo."

"W-Wait! My question…! And… who's Reira?"

No answer but the sound of a door shutting.

"Mother?!"

* * *

Within the old stadium were several larger tents, constructed with the intent of housing the bodies of those that had died until a time came when they could be buried. Normally, the only ones that died had succumbed to disease—they were sealed into a card if they lost to Academia, and there was still hope _those_ people could be brought back. However… that day, the five bodies laid to rest in one such tent had not succumbed to disease, had not been crushed underneath debris, had not been fighting Academia—though they'd been near to a fight. No…

…all five of them had taken their own lives, four of them almost simultaneously had it not been for two people desperately attempting to save them. And the fifth…

"Dammit… dammit… _damn it all_! If Nasch hadn't…!"

In another tent, atop a worn-out mattress, sat a man with bright-orange hair and violet eyes. His jacket, black with fraying sleeves, was still splattered with now-dried blood as he'd not let anyone take it away to clean it. With one hand, he pressed a bag of ice harder against his bruised left cheek and winced slightly, his outburst sending a stabbing pain through his jaw. The other hand clenched the sheet over his lap, his knuckles a tense white.

His outburst was the first sort of noise in the tent other than heartwrenching sobs and quiet sniffles for the past hour, as all but two of the others were busy mourning the five that had died.

Next to Vector's cot sat another man, this one with grey hair and dull grey eyes. Like Vector, his dark-colored coat had been splattered with blood, though some had also sprayed across his face and he'd left it there, refusing a towel to clean himself off. Durbe stared soullessly at his trembling hands, tears welled in his eyes. In one hand, he held the chain of a necklace and a red ribbon, both attached to the crest of the Barians, though the crystals had shattered. In the other, he held a set of matching silver rings, along with a golden one that matched the one he wore on his left hand. All five objects had belonged to his own wife and her brother… his two closest friends…

Sitting behind Durbe, though turned around to face the second cot in the tent, sat a third young man, one with short icy-blue hair and golden-colored eyes. His dark blue sweater was still damp from the rain, and the collar was soaking up the tears that flowed freely from his eyes. In his trembling hands, he held a single card that he couldn't stop looking at—but looking at it only made him sob harder. In his lap was a Duel Disk that wasn't his, holding the rest of the cards that had belonged to his brother. The lone card in Haruto's hand was _Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon_.

On the bed in front of Haruto slept his nephew, the boy's skin flushed and drenched in sweat. The dark-green collared shirt he'd worn that day had been replaced with a black one. Occasionally, the black-and-purple-haired boy's eyes twitched while he moaned in his sleep, haunted by some sort of nightmare. Likely the nightmare of what he'd witnessed, as the only one that had witnessed the entire event.

Opposite Haruto knelt Ruri, parts of her cream-colored vest stained red from when she helped carry Yuto back to their base. She was crying quietly, tightly clenching one of Yuto's hands. Yuto was her first friend, and she'd almost certainly lost a part of him today. Her brother knelt behind her, a hand reassuringly rubbing her back. The grim look on Shun's face masked the sorrow he was trying to contain.

In a corner of the tent opposite the entrance sat a woman with green hair and orange eyes, her knees pulled up to her chest as she cried, just as loudly as Haruto. In her hands was a triangle-shaped gold piece, a green sphere set inside a circular part on its top. Kotori had lost her son to Fusion, had a miscarriage due to the stress caused by the invasion, and now her husband was _dead_ alongside his two best friends and their families.

The last occupant of the tent watched them all with one wary gold eye, the other hidden behind her similar-colored hair. Her arms were folded over her chest as she leaned back on her feet, though not against the fabric of the tent for fear of making it collapse. Dusk's lips were tightened in a thin frown, but otherwise portrayed no emotion.

"…If Nasch hadn't attacked me, I could have at least saved him and Merag," Vector finished, his voice subdued for once.

Durbe flinched at the names of his—former—fellow Barian Emperors, his grip tightening on the four objects in his hands. He should have _done_ something. No, he should have listened to Vector rather than just _handing_ Merag the weapon she used to end her life—he should have _known_ something was horribly wrong with his wife. But now she was gone—and Nasch had followed her, like he always had.

Dusk chuckled, a sound that made Vector jerk his head in her direction, eyes ablaze. The ice fell from his hands as he leapt up, grabbing the woman by the collar. "You think this is _funny_?"

The woman did not move, staring the Barian directly in the eyes. "As a matter of fact, I _do_ find it funny that you thought you could save that one you called Merag. Perhaps you could have saved Nasch, but Merag was doomed the moment she was caught in Reizo's power."

At the mention of their friend's name, both Kurosaki siblings looked up in alarm. "…Reizo's… power…?" Ruri muttered.

Vector's grip on Dusk's white jacket faltered. "What are you talking about? Reizo is one of our _allies_ , he would nev—" He cut himself off, releasing Dusk completely. His eyes narrowed as he frowned. "He wasn't there. I heard his voice when Merag, Yuma-kun, and I arrived at the plaza, but he wasn't there when…"

"…Yuto…" Shun muttered in the silence. "Before he passed out, Yuto mentioned that Reizo had done something…"

"Exactly. Reizo used his power on everyone within his range indiscriminately, and it worked on them all," Dusk said. She scratched her chin for a second, then added, "…Well. It worked on everyone except for _Yuto_ , though he's a… special case."

"What do you mean, ' _special case_ '?" Shun demanded.

Meanwhile, Vector's anger had built to a peak. "Reizo… caused this? He's the reason my friends are _dead_?!"

Dusk's lone eye looked between the two males for a moment, before she shook her head. "I've already said too much."

"'Too much'?! ' _Too much'_?!" Vector screeched. He was beyond caring about the pain in his face, he deserved answers that this _pathetic human_ would not give. The red crystal around his neck shined for a brief moment, encasing the man in a vivid pink light. When it dimmed, the creature standing in his place could hardly be recognized as a _man_.

His skin had turned completely grey, and he no longer had a nose or a mouth. The crystal that had been hung around his neck was now much larger, and set into the skin of his chest, surrounded by a crude yellow version of the Barian Emblem. His hair at least remained the same shape, though it had turned a shade of grey similar to Durbe's, and his eyes were still violet. Around his waist was a short dark-grey sarong, decorated with pink gems around his waist. Similar pink gems adorned his hair, his shoulders, his sides, and even the demonic black wings that he now sported.

The Barian Emperor _glared_ at Dusk, and the woman was lifted into the air surrounded by some sort of pink aura. He tightened his hand and though Dusk didn't react, it appeared as though an invisible force was crushing her in its grip. "Nasch. Merag. Tenjo Droite. Tenjo Kaito. And, and Tsukumo Yuma. They're all _dead_ , and we have the _right_ to know the truth that you do. _TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW_!"

Dusk just smiled down at him. "Those names… are meaningless to me. Do you expect me to care…?"

Her words were choked out by Vector tightening his telekinetic grip even _more_ , his eyes _bulging_ with rage as he seethed at her. "How _dare_ you call my friends _meaningless_?!"

"Vector!" Durbe abruptly stood up, leaving the five objects he held behind him, and made his way over to face the enraged Emperor. "Vector, set her down! Killing her won't get us _any_ answers!"

Vector went to scream some sort of response, but Dusk beat him to it, laughing briefly. "You care to know so much? Not even the strongest-willed person could possibly disobey an order from one with Absolute Obedience. It doesn't matter if it's something so unthinkable—Reizo could spur a pacifist into committing genocide if he so wished. Make of that what you will, I will say no more on the matter."

The tent fell silent as everyone within absorbed the new information with horror. Even Vector was stunned, enough to let go of the golden-haired woman. "But… that would mean…"

"…Reizo betrayed us," Shun finished grimly.

"N-No! You're wrong, Reizo wouldn't—he's our _friend_!" Ruri shouted. "He wouldn't do _this_! Nii-san, how can you _say_ something like that?"

"Then what _else_ do you think happened, Ruri? I…" He scowled, a hand running through his hair. "…I hate to believe it, but Reizo had to at _least_ play some part of it. They wouldn't have, have killed themselves by their own free will. And… Reizo has the power Dusk's talking about. I've seen him use it before, on the Obelisk Force—"

"Shut _up_!" Ruri screeched, before _slapping her brother across the face_. As Shun gawked at her, a hand over his stinging cheek, she continued, "I'm not going to stand here and listen to you _drag his name through the dirt_ , Reizo _wouldn't do this_! I can't believe you would even _think_ that he would, nii-san!"

"Ruri—" Shun reached out to his sister, though she swatted his hand away.

" _Don't touch me_ ," she seethed, her pink eyes filled with tears again. The violet-haired girl stormed out of the tent without another word, no one moving to stop her.

It would be the last time Shun saw his sister for nearly two years.

* * *

 **A/N: …**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _ **END Arc-I: Rebirth of the Demon**_

 _ **BEGIN Arc-II: Requiem for the Fallen**_

* * *

 _Reizo struggles to adapt back to a life in Standard while he slowly recovers. But with his older brother still in a coma, his younger an absolute enigma to him, and his mother keeping secrets from him, he wishes he was back in Heartland with his friends… not aware of what they believe he has done._

 _Next time: Alone_


	22. Chapter 21: Alone

" _I… have to…"_

…

" _Wh-What's going on?! Masaki?!"_

…

"… _die…"_

…

" _Wh—NO!"_

…

" _G-Give it back! I—have to—die!"_

…

" _I won't let you!"_

…

" _Hitomi, stop. You can't save him, his mind's too far gone."_

…

" _B-But…!"_

…

" _You_ can't _do anything to help him. No one can. It's best to—"_

…

" _I WON'T DO THAT! Masaki is, he's—he's—all I have…"_

…

" _I understand your wish to do that, but… you know that there is no way to undo one of Reizo's commands."_

…

"… _So that's why… that bastard ordered Masaki to kill himself?!"_

…

 **Chapter 21: Alone**

A full week passed before Reizo was allowed out of the hospital, and even then he was still not healed. His shoulder would be in a sling for at least another month while the fracture in it healed. His other arm was relegated to holding a cane, although that should only last a few days as his legs get used to walking again after two weeks; after that, he would just need a brace for his right knee, as he had a few torn ligaments in it. And of course, there were the bandages over the entire left side of his face. He still couldn't believe that he lost his eye. It felt so, surreal.

 _Everything_ since he'd returned to Maiami City felt like that. Like he'd close his eyes— _eye_ , he reminded himself—and wake up to find himself back in Heartland or—or trapped in a card, like he had every right to be since he'd lost to Masaki and losers were carded.

The first few nights back, he hadn't even been able to sleep. He'd tossed and turned in his too-plush bed and his eerily quiet room for _hours_ until the sun came up and he at least had an excuse to be awake. The fifth night, he passed out on the floor of his room and actually _slept_ for once. He was just too used to not having a bed to sleep on. He was plagued by nightmares of the horror he lived through, but at least he was _sleeping_.

But it didn't last. His mother had come into his room just to check on him a few days after Reizo figured out he could sleep if he was on the floor and had been _extremely_ upset at the sight. She'd taken him back to the hospital after that, and he walked out of it with a prescription for sleeping pills and the recommendation that he see a therapist for an indefinite amount of time, something about him very likely having PTSD and anxiety. And, okay, the sleeping pills sometimes kept the nightmares away, but did he _really_ have to go to therapy for it?

And to top it all off, he _still_ hadn't seen his brother. His mother had been adamant about that, for the sake of his mental health, she'd argued. But he was fairly certain that _not_ being able to see his brother—or even know _anything_ other than the fact that he was _alive_ —was probably causing him more harm than otherwise.

 _Reira_ , on the other hand. _Reira_ , who wasn't even _related_ to him by blood, was allowed to go with their—with _Reizo's_ —mother to see Reiji at _least_ thrice a week. It wasn't _fair_ , Reiji was _his_ brother not—not _Reira's_. Everything about the little boy made him _angry_. While _he_ had been fighting for his life for the past year, _Reira_ had been adopted by his mother. The _real_ reason why—that Reira was to be a weapon against Academia—didn't make his initial thoughts on Reira being his _replacement_ any better—even in the Resistance, where anyone and everyone had to fight, the only ones that actively sought out soldiers had to be at _least_ twelve, and even then they had to prove they could fight as well as adults could. Reira was only _eight_.

All in all, he felt _alone_ in the place he _should_ call "home".

* * *

When the sling came off and he regained movement in his shoulder, Himika gave Reizo news that he'd been expecting ever since he got back and had very much been dreading.

He had to go back to _school_.

It wasn't as bad as if he was only being forced by his mother to go, but as a thirteen-year-old, he was required by _law_ to attend school. Then, as an Akaba, he was expected to attend LDS _after_ it, which left him with hardly any time to himself or to prepare for the inevitable time that he went back to the Xyz Dimension, and thus back into the interdimensional war. He _hated_ it—why couldn't he at least do something _worth_ his time instead of _this_? He already knew nearly _everything_ his teachers taught even though _he_ couldn't remember learning any of it—it was _Lelouch_ that had. History was the only class that he really needed.

To make matters worse, rumors about him ran _rampant_ in both Maiami Second Middle and LDS—most wondering about his sudden reappearance and where he's been for the last year, but the worst ones were spread that he'd gotten mixed up with something massively illegal, and that there was a huge cover-up going on about it. Some suggested that said illegal activities included _murder_ , leading almost everyone to avoid him like the plague. Others suggested that _he_ was the one that put his brother in a coma. Still others suggested that he'd spent the last year in an _asylum_ and wondered just why he was allowed back into the general public.

And he couldn't argue with any of it. He _had_ killed people before—when he was Lelouch, he'd ordered so many people to kill themselves, had an entire city buried in a rockslide, shot his own half-sister, crushed hundreds if not thousands when he'd toppled the Tokyo Settlement's anti-earthquake barriers. He _was_ in _some_ way responsible for Reiji's coma—if he hadn't insisted on participating in the Duel, if he'd only been stronger, neither of them would have been injured. And, well, at least back when he had no idea what the difference between his own memories and Lelouch's were, his mother had made him see psychiatrist after psychiatrist until… well, he couldn't quite remember when he'd stopped seeing them. Still, the point held.

Since he couldn't argue with the rumors, he didn't. He ignored the aside glances, the whispers, and the suspicious looks as he went through school, he sat by himself during meals and his free periods, and no one ever had the nerve to bother him. The eyepatch didn't help matters—his scars still stuck out from underneath it, and the eyepatch itself was oddly designed, with what looked like a deformed, upside-down horseshoe, and small light-green crystals dangling from the string he had to tie around his head every morning. It wasn't his style, but his mother made him wear it, and it was easier to hide his missing eye than be forced to explain what happened to it.

One day, about two weeks after he'd started going back to school, he was sitting by himself during free period, under the shade of a tree. There was a nice breeze going—he could _almost_ take a nap right there. He actually almost _did_ , until the nice breeze caught him off-guard when it blue a piece of paper _right_ onto his face. That had sent a jolt of adrenaline through him, before he remembered that he wasn't in Heartland, and that it was just a piece of paper, not something to be worried about. The paper wasn't even important, a flyer for an event that was earlier that day.

Reizo sighed, dragging a hand through his hair as he held the flyer in the other. _This_ was the exact problem he was trying to convince his mother and his therapist that he _didn't_ have. He wished he wasn't always so _alert_ against the most random things.

 _I… wish…_

 _("Did you know there's a legend about them? If you fold a thousand of these, your wish will come true!")_

 _(A girl with sandy brown hair held up a crane folded out of pink paper. She smiled at him, and he smiled back even though he knew she would never see it, taking the bird from her hands. "Is that so?")_

 _("Uh-huh! Do_ you _have a wish, Big Brother?")_

 _("It depends. What's_ your _wish, Nunnally?")_

 _("I wish… I wish the world was a gentler place.")_

He eyed the paper again, and set about to tearing it apart to make a square. It had been _so_ long since he'd made one—it had to have been _years_ —but his fingers still knew what to do, and after a minute or two, he had a decent origami crane in his hand. A tad lopsided, but it was good enough for him.

A smile formed on his face. It was stupid, really stupid, to believe in a superstition like that. But he'd seen more than enough things that shouldn't exist, and he really had nothing better to do. So he set to work, folding crane after crane with whatever spare paper he had on hand.

 _I wish my brother will wake up soon…_

 _I wish I can be stronger, strong enough that no one has to get hurt trying to protect me…_

 _I wish that my friends in Heartland are safe…_

* * *

The table that had basically become _his_ in the cafeteria at Maiami Second Middle School happened to be next to one of the cafeteria's many windows. Most of the time he had his back turned to it anyways, so Reizo didn't really care about the view. He really only cared about the windowsill—it was where he kept putting the cranes he finished during lunch, since that was when he made most of them. Sure, any of the other students could come and take them all away or the custodians could sweep them off the sill, but after a full week, no one had wanted to touch them but him.

No one but him _and_ , apparently, a certain teenaged girl with waist-long orange hair. Her back was turned to him, but as he approached his table and noticed her turning over one of his birds in her hand, Reizo froze, and had to consciously remind himself not to drop his food. Of all the people to take an interest in his cranes, it _had_ to be her. "Shirley…" he breathed—thankfully quiet enough so that she didn't hear him. His head didn't hurt to the point of him losing consciousness when he recalled his past life anymore, but it didn't make his _heart_ hurt any less.

He had to stay calm. Maybe this girl just _looked_ like Shirley— _Kaiya_ , he reminded himself—or, if she _was_ Kaiya, he felt like if he flipped out, she would _never_ leave him alone. With that thought in mind, he took a deep breath, set his food down, and mustered up the best angry glare he could with just one eye. "Put that _down_."

The girl jumped with a squeal of surprise, the bird falling back onto the ledge upside down. She turned back around, a sheepish smile on her face, and she bowed. "S-Sorry! I just… I've always wanted to make one of these, and you're so good at making them." She stood up after that, narrowing her olive-green eyes at him. "Hmm, you look familiar…"

He felt his chest tighten, and purposefully took a deep breath again. It definitely _was_ her. Deciding to play it off as a vague memory, he said, "You're… aren't you the one I was Dueling in that tournament a few years ago, but I collapsed before we were done…? Kaiya or something?"

"Oh my gosh, it _is_ you!" Kaiya exclaimed, then covered her mouth as she'd drawn some unwanted attention. Reizo's fellow students all gave her strange looks—looks that she ignored. "Sorry, I just, you're so much more… grown up now, and with that eyepatch, I couldn't be sure…"

He couldn't help but notice how her eyes had flickered sadly when she mentioned his eyepatch. But he couldn't do this, he didn't deserve another chance with her. Shirley had died because she was too close to Lelouch. Kaiya could easily suffer the same fate if she was too close to him, since he was part of the interdimensional war. He bit his lip, then pretended to scowl in anger. "Whatever. Go away."

"Huh? But I—"

"Aren't you too old to be a student here?"

"Well, yes, I was just bringing my friend his lunch, and then I saw these birds…"

"Then your business here is done. Leave me alone."

She looked… hurt at his words, and the knife in his gut twisted. "Did I upset you? I didn't mean to…"

It would be so easy to give a coldhearted answer. But seeing the sadness in her eyes, Reizo just couldn't bring himself to do it. "No, _you_ did nothing wrong. I just—haven't you noticed the looks you've been getting for talking with me? I'm the outcast and I don't care." _Lies_. "I've been through a lot over the past two years, you wouldn't understand. Now would you _please_ go away?"

She went to respond with something, decided against it, and looked away, muttering a goodbye before she pushed passed him.

With her gone, his heart shouldn't hurt as much.

So then why did he feel even _worse_ than when he'd first seen her?

* * *

 **A/N: Reizo really has no idea what's going on in the Xyz Dimension. But is what** _ **they**_ **think about Reizo causing all of that correct…? You'll have to wait and see, the Xyz characters won't be in the spotlight again for a little while.**

 **Heehee…**

 **Really though, I think the angst should go away or at least not be so major for a while, starting next chapter. Stay tuned for that, and please leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)**_

* * *

 _Kaiya tries to get Reizo to open up to her, while Reizo slowly tries to give her and Reira a chance. Then, a miracle happens…!_

 _Next time: Wish of A Thousand Cranes_


	23. Chapter 22: Wish of A Thousand Cranes

" _The Inhibitor is almost complete. Would have been done far sooner if you'd let it be implanted in his head…"_

…

" _I'm not letting you disfigure my son for what is at best a temporary solution."_

…

" _Oho~? So you_ do _care about him?"_

…

" _Of course I am, he's my_ son _. Why are you surprised by this?"_

…

" _Heh. Oh, no reason."_

…

 **Chapter 22: Wish of A Thousand Cranes**

He'd _thought_ that, after his cold dismissal of her, Kaiya would leave him alone—especially since she had no reason to hunt for him at Maiami Second Middle School, since she didn't even go to it. Well, apparently she _did_ have a valid reason to find him _after_ school—she used to hang out with her friends from You Show Duel School, but she was a current member of _Leo_ Duel School, had been for about seven months now.

 _Just my luck_ , he groaned inwardly, as the girl attempted to get him to talk to her while they walked to LDS. Sometimes it was easy to ignore her, because she only asked random, innocent questions or she rambled on and on about her own life. Other times, she asked questions that she didn't _think_ were bad, but hurt for him to hear.

"What's your family like?"

 _Well, let's see. My dad dropped off the face of the Earth when I was only three, and I found out it's because he went to a different dimension and turned it into his own army for an interdimensional war. My brother—my_ older _brother—has been in a coma for over_ two months _because we lost to one of our father's soldiers. My mother won't tell me what's wrong with Reiji that keeps him in a coma. She hasn't even let me_ see _him yet. Oh, and my_ little _brother, who was adopted while I was missing, is nothing more than the shell of a human being, yet_ he's _allowed to see Reiji._

 _(And that's not even getting into_ Lelouch's _family…)_

"What happened to your eye?"

As if he didn't have _enough_ reminders of his _powerlessness_.

"Hey, how come you're always wearing that red scarf? It's not even cold out…"

 _Because it's the symbol of the Resistance… and, and because it reminds me of my brother…_

But the one that made him _finally_ stop and pay attention to her was when _she_ stopped him by grabbing his arm, staring at him with her sad green eyes. "Lulu, you can't shut everyone out forever," she said. "That's no way to live."

His heart froze at that, his throat feeling like it was crushed. "Wh-What did you call me?" he choked out. He wished he was more composed, that just made everything worse.

"I—huh?" Her face scrunched up, and she let go of his arm to scratch her chin. "I called you, Lulu, that's… that's your nickname." That made her rub her forehead like she was trying to dispel a headache. "Wait… Reizo… Lulu… but that's…"

 _She, she remembers… not much of anything, but she_ remembers… _!_

He ran away after that, and Kaiya was too lost in thought to chase after him.

For the next few days, Kaiya did not meet up with him between school and LDS, and Reizo found the silence… completely unsettling. He'd thought that her incessant talking and her just _being_ there was too much for him to handle, yet now her _absence_ found him constantly looking over his shoulder to see if she was there, and the sinking feeling in his gut to grow worse every time he found that she wasn't there.

After a fourth day in a row of not seeing her, Reizo decided that was enough. It was _ridiculous_ , but he needed her… at least during the walk between schools.

The student registry of Leo Duel School was public, of course, but what specific course each student was taking remained private. Reizo wasn't sure which course Kaiya was in, and it could take days for him to go around to each to look for her. Because of that, just this once, he was glad that he was an Akaba. _He_ could access student records through his mother.

So, after dinner that day, he decided to pay a visit to his mother in the office that should be Reiji's. She acknowledged him by saying his name, but did not look up from her paperwork.

He was used to this by now, though. Ever since he got out of the hospital, his mother barely paid attention to him. Still, that didn't stop the slightest of pangs from running through his chest. "Mother, I have a question for you," he said.

Without looking up from per papers, she said, "Make it quick, Reizo. I have a conference call in just a few minutes."

"It's about a student that goes here, Hiroe Kaiya. I would like to know what course she's in."

At the mention of Kaiya, Himika's pen stopped moving—for a split second—and the slightest of frowns appeared on her face. "Hiroe Kaiya, you said? What business do you have with her?"

Reizo didn't miss the defensive tone in his mother's voice. What did she have against Kaiya? "I have something important to discuss with her, so I'm trying to find where she is. That's all."

Himika narrowed her eyes, and finally looked up at her son. "…Synchro," she said slowly. "That girl is a member of the Synchro Course."

That took him by surprise. "Synchro? But, she—she uses 'Ghostricks'. There aren't any Synchro Monsters for her to use with that Deck… shouldn't she be in the Xyz Course?"

A quiet alarm started beeping on the desk, leaving Reizo's question unanswered as his mother had to start that conference call.

 _Synchro…_

* * *

As soon as classes let out the next day, Reizo hightailed it over to the floor used for the Synchro Course. He made it in time for the majority of the students to still be on the floor, either waiting for the elevator or making their way to the stairs if they didn't want to wait. Craning his neck, he tried looking around for someone with orange hair, but he couldn't see anyone. Mostly brown, black, a few purple or blue, and one blonde, but no orange.

 _She probably already left…_

But, no, he couldn't give up yet. He reached out and stopped one of the kids that was walking by, some boy with wild brown hair and a sword of all things strapped to his back— _is he allowed to do that?_ —and said, "Hey, do you know a girl named Hiroe Kaiya?"

"Kaiya?" the boy repeated, then jabbed a finger towards one of the classrooms. "Last I saw, she was talking to Professor Hayashi."

"Thank you, so much," Reizo said, quickly bowing slightly before he darted into the classroom the boy had pointed out. The teacher must have already stepped out, but Kaiya was there, fixing her bag over her shoulder. He stopped at the door and gripped the doorframe tightly. Kaiya was wearing an outfit that looked almost _exactly_ like the one Shirley had been wearing when she died.

He must have made some sort of sound, because Kaiya looked up at him, startled. "O-Oh! Lu—I mean—Reizo!" she exclaimed, flinching when she started to call him "Lulu". "What… What a surprise. Did you need Professor Hayashi? He stepped out to go to the bathroom just a minute ago…"

Reizo shook his head. "No, I need _you_ , Kaiya. We really need to talk about what happened last week. Let me start by apologizing for my actions, I should not have run away from you. I just…" He trailed off, not sure of what to say. He'd spent all his time just trying to _find_ her. "Does… Does the name 'Lelouch' sound familiar to you at all?"

From her sharp intake of breath, he knew the answer was yes.

"What about 'Shirley'?"

She dropped her bag and covered her mouth, her olive eyes wide in shock. "Why… how do you…?"

"Those were our names, in a past life," Reizo replied. When she looked just about ready to argue over the idea of that, he added, "I know. It sounds like crazy talk, but I've… I've seen the truth, and I probably remember more than you do…" He scratched his chin, trying to come up with something else. "Have you ever had dreams, maybe when you were younger, about a completely different world? A different life? And it felt so real that, you could mistake it for this one?"

"I… yeah," she admitted while she picked her bag back up. "When I was little—"

"Ah, am I interrupting something?" a voice said from behind Reizo. It belonged to Professor Hayashi, a middle-aged man with brown hair and green eyes, having returned from his restroom break. He also narrowed his eyes at Reizo. "Akaba Reizo…? Did your mother need me for something?"

"Oh! No, not at all, Professor!" Kaiya immediately said, waving her hands like it was no big deal. "We were actually just about to leave."

The violet-eyed boy nodded in agreement with Kaiya; they did need more privacy than this for the sort of conversation they were about to have. Then, to answer the professor's question… "No sir, as you can see, I came here to talk to Kaiya. My apologies for the confusion."

Professor Hayashi shook his head. "No, it's my bad for jumping to conclusions. Both of you have a good day, alright?"

With that, the two teens left the classroom, Reizo directing Kaiya to the elevator. After a scan of his hand, a different floor option appeared, much to Kaiya's shock, and the elevator took them to the upper floors of LDS Tower—the place Reizo called his home. Kaiya lingered in the elevator after it opened, staring around the penthouse area. "Are… are you sure I'm allowed up here?"

"You're my guest, of course you are," he replied, waving her inside. "Besides… even if you _weren't_ , my mother isn't going to be home for another few hours at least. That's more than enough time for us to talk."

"…If you say so," Kaiya said, hesitantly following him inside.

* * *

Kaiya wasn't sure how to feel as Reizo led her through a hallway dotted with guest rooms, into an extremely well-furnished living room. One wall was entirely a window, the late afternoon sun showcasing the view of almost all of Maiami City. One of the walls adjacent to it was filled with bookshelves and trophy cases—Kaiya _wished_ she had even just a _tenth_ of the number of trophies she saw over there. On the opposite wall was a _massive_ flat-screen TV, in front of it situated a coffee table and several dark-colored couches that wrapped around the center of the room. Coming from a family that barely had any money outside of making ends meet, it was _more_ than impressive.

Reizo narrowed his eyes at the television, which was playing some cartoon Kaiya didn't recognize, and then looked over at the center couch. Kaiya hadn't even realized there was a little boy there, clutching an old stuffed teddy bear to his chest while he watched that cartoon.

She didn't miss Reizo's expression sour upon seeing the boy.

"Reira," Reizo said in a forced polite tone.

The boy didn't even look up. He tightened his grip on the teddy bear and slipped off of the couch, walking off without so much as a word. Kaiya watched him go, mouth almost stuck wide open at the exchange. "Reizo, who was that?"

"Reira," he replied, turning off the television. "My little brother."

"Oh." Kaiya paused for a moment; there was a name on the tip of her tongue. "Like—like Rolo?" she added.

There was a long pause while Reizo made a strange look, before he decided to say, "…Yes, exactly like him." Reizo sat down, then gestured to the couch for her to join him. "That's not what we came here to talk about. We came here to talk about what you remember from the other world."

Kaiya hesitated—she really wanted to know why Reizo treated his little brother like that—but, Reizo was right, they weren't here to talk about his family life. She took a place on the other end of the couch, and leaned back, dragging up memories of old dreams she hadn't thought about in years. "Well… when I was little, I was very sick. I would sleep all the time, and I'd dream I was in high school with, well… with Lulu, and a bunch of others… but I got better a bit after my sixth birthday, and the dreams stopped…"

"Is that all you remember?"

She thought about it, and felt the tips of her ears heat up—she _did_ remember something in particular, she remembered kissing Lulu in the rain, although the memory felt like a sad one. "Y-Yeah, that's all I remember."

"I see…"

Then came another pause; the orange-haired girl fiddled with her thumbs, unsure of what to say. The whole idea that she used to live in a different world and _that_ was why she had those dreams was, well, it was almost too crazy to be true. It was like, if she suddenly got amnesia, and was told who she was supposed to be, but she just couldn't remember no matter how hard she tried. _Shirley Fenette._ That's who she _was_ in the past, if she believed this. And… well, since Reizo believed it, there had to be _some_ truth to this whole thing.

Reizo cleared his throat to break the awkward silence. "I'm not going to force you to believe what I've told you, Kaiya. You're your own person and have every right to make that decision for yourself. So, enough of that for now. Would you like to talk about anything else? Anything at all?"

The sudden change of topic caught her off-guard. "Oh! Uh… n-no, not that I can—well, actually…" _How should I say this that doesn't sound rude?_ "…You said Reira's your brother, right? Then why did you treat him like that?"

"Because… because he was adopted while I was missing," Reizo explained, slowly.

"Ahh, sorry, I didn't know," she hastily said, remembering the stories plastered all over the news about how Reizo had gone missing almost two years ago. His miraculous rescue a few months ago had also been extensively covered—although, from what she could remember, his older brother had been involved in it and _severely_ injured. The whole thing was clearly a touchy subject for Reizo. "M-Maybe we should talk about something else?"

That just resulted in another silence, this time broken by Reizo sighing. "I don't think we're going to find much else to talk about right now. Perhaps another time, when the mood isn't so heavy?"

Kaiya looked shocked at that statement—she thought he was only interested in her because of what he said happened in that, other world. But, from that… "You, you want to be friends with me?" she asked, hesitantly. "I-I mean—I don't mind at all—"

The boy chuckled at her antics, the hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Yes, that's exactly what I'd like. It's… been too long since I've had someone to talk to."

"Then of _course_ I'll be your friend!" she replied with enthusiasm. "No one should have to be lonely, so—so… uh…" Kaiya clapped her hands together. "I know! You should come with me to visit my friends over at You Show! You definitely won't be lonely with _them_ around!"

"That sounds… wonderful," Reizo agreed, nodding. Then his expression soured. "However, I have homework to do, lots of it in fact. I'll have to visit some other time. Will tomorrow work?"

"It's perfect!"

They parted ways a few minutes later, after Reizo sent her on her way. Kaiya looked back at LDS Tower with an unreadable expression on her face, deep in thought. _Reizo… he really is a nice boy, like I thought. He's just reserved, after what happened to him and his brother. I hope…_

… _I hope his brother gets better soon._

 _Then he'll smile more. Right?_

* * *

A knock on his door dragged Reizo's attention from his history homework. He set his pencil down and walked over to the door, finding his mother standing behind it. The look on her face was… surprisingly, happy? He frowned at the sight. "What is it, Mother?"

"Reiji-san has finally woken up."

* * *

 **A/N: …Okay look, I'm really sorry this chapter took** _ **forever**_ **to write, I just got very side-tracked by "It's Up to You" and another ARC-V work I intend to start very soon. Not to mention school, work, and other extracurricular activities absorbing my time and kinda giving me writer's block. And I know the ending seems rushed, but that's** _ **exactly**_ **how I intended it to go back when I first started brainstorming for this chapter (which was, in fact, when I was working on chapter 20 of this story, so it was a** _ **while**_ **ago).**

 **Switching to Kaiya's point-of-view was definitely** _ **not**_ **intended in my original brainstorming, but I decided that in such an important scene, you guys needed to see how** _ **she**_ **was reacting to stuff, not Reizo (since he's already come to terms with the idea of the other world). I hope you all understand.**

 **Thank you very much for reading this! Please leave a review!**

 _ **(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V.)**_

* * *

 _Reizo and Reiji are finally reunited for the first time in several months. What does Reiji have to say, and where are they to go from here?_

 _Next time: Awakening_


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